Starke County Historical Society - Starke County Public Library System

Transcription

A
PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY
OF
STARKE COUNTY
INDIANA
~
Compiled by
Marvin Allen
Starke County Historian
Copyright© 2008
Introduction
Originally submitted to local newspapers between 2004 and 2009 as “Starke History”,
these photographs provide a pictorial record of more than a hundred years of local
history.
Some were taken by other professional photographers, as well as amateurs with early
box cameras, but the majority of the pictures were taken by Klopot Studios.
Sigmund Klopot moved with his wife Clara and daughter Stella to the area in 1894 from
Chicago. Soon studios were opened at North Judson, Knox and Bass Lake.
Later Stella related that the lens was so valuable that they carried it with them from
studio to studio. She said they traveled on the 3-I Train from Knox to North Judson
every Friday morning, handled business there and then took the Erie Train to Bass Lake
for the weekend, at least during the summers.
After arriving at the south end of Bass Lake, they would take one of the steam boats
around the lake as it dropped tourists off a various hotels. Their studio was in Winona
on the lake’s north side.
Tintypes were a tourist’s favorite. They were quick to make and less costly than prints,
which required a separate negative.
After Sigmund died in 1912, Clara continued on with the business for many years. Stella
eventually took over and ran the studio until the late 1960s.
Stella (Klopot) Bonner also served as Starke County’s first County Historian.
We are forever indebted to the Klopot family for their many, now historic, photos and
efforts to preserve local history.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Bass Lake
Bass Hotel (Original)
Bass Lake Ball Team
Bass Lake Country Club
Bass Lake Fire Department
Bass Lake Fish Hatchery
Bass Lake State Beach
Bass Station General Store
Bathers
Best View Hotel - Beagle Club
Best View Hotel Scene
Bloom’s Store
Brabrook Hotel
Brydon’s Beach
Buchta’s Store
Cente View Hotel
Cleaves’s Chute
Conner’s Corner
Crystal Ballroom
Ferretti Resort
Kaley Brother’s Store
Klopot Photo Studio
Lake Park (1940)
Lake Park
Lake Park Garage
Lakeside Grocery
Mae Villa
Miss Bass Lake (1926)
Miss Bass Lake Contestants (1926)
Rannell’s Motor Bus
Shore Room
Steam Boats
Taggart Hotel
Tomassi’s Resort
Van’s Inn
Winona
Winona Band Concert
Winona Business Section
Winona Fire Department
Winona School (1908)
Winona School (1953)
Woodlawn Hotel
Chapter 2 - California Township
Aldine School
California Township Map
California Township Basketball Team
California Township School (1950)
Lucas Family
Raschka Homestead
Round Lake Church
Shilling Home
Spoor School (1914)
Spoor School (1926)
Stephenson Family
White Family
White Farm
White Farm (Bi-plane)
Chapter 3 - Center Township
Adkins School
Brems Depot
Brems School (1924)
Black Bridge
Center High School Girls Basketball Team (1928)
Center High School Girls Basketball Team (1929)
Center Township School (1942)
Center Township School Teachers
Hoffer Family
Meineka Farm
Pulver Family
Shilling Family
Chapter 4 - Davis Township
Hardesty Family
Lotter Family
Chapter 5 - Hamlet
Bruce Drug Store
Hamlet Baseball Team (1920)
Hamlet Centennial
Hamlet Garage
Hamlet High School
Hamlet High School (1941)
Hamlet High School Boys Basketball Team (1934)
Hamlet High School Girls Basketball Team (1926)
Hamlet Implement & Hardware
Hamlet Lumber & Coal Company
Hamlet Post Office
Hamlet Teachers (1945)
Harvey Motors
Jolly Creamery
Laramore’s Garage
Luken Family
Pennsylvania Railroad Depot
Rank?
Soap Box Derby
Starke & Davis Streets (Looking South)
Starke & Davis Streets (Looking West)
Thomas, Lyman
Chapter 6 - Jackson Township
Camp Kankakee
Dog Notice
Hewlett’s General Store
Johnson Family
Jordan School (1922)
Jordan School Ball Team (1934)
Swanson Farm (Corn Sheller)
Swanson Homestead
Toto
Toto School (1911)
Toto Sunday School
Tretiak’s General Store
West School
Chapter 7 - Knox
Alan, Frank
Barnum, John Henry
Blue Star Mothers
Brick Water Tower
Brown Family
Buggy Ride
Central Hotel
Champion Motor Company
Che Mah
Christian Church
City Steam Laundry
Civil War Veterans (Courthouse)
Civil War Veterans (Reiss Store)
Class Play (1936)
Company H (Courthouse)
Company H - Special
Cook Equipment Company
County Home
Cox Texaco Station
Desardee Chapter – Daughters of the American Revolution
Drews' Sanitary Dairy
Edgel’s Shoe Shop
Eichstaedt Chevrolet & Cadillac
Ernie’s Restaurant - Inside
Ernie’s Restaurant - Outside
F4F Wildcat at Knox High School
Fairy Theater
Farmer’s Co-op
Fitz Hotel
Ford Dealer
Fox, William
Girl Scout Cabin
Golding’s Gas Station
Good Shell Station
Governor and Mrs. Henry F. Schricker
Green’s Orchestra
Horner and Krueter Hardware Store
Horse Drawn School Bus
Hunnicutt’s Seed Store
Junior Dramatic Club
Kiest Feed Store
Kiwanis Club
Knights of Pythias
Knox Airport
Knox Baseball Team (1948)
Knox Grade School (1954)
Knox Grade School (195x)
Knox Grade School Basketball Team (1946)
Knox Grade School Basketball Team (1950)
Knox High School
Knox High School (1933)
Knox High School Basketball Team (1948)
Knox High School Basketball Team (1963)
Knox High School Boys Basketball Team (1928)
Knox High School Boys Basketball Team (1953)
Knox High School Class (1904)
Knox High School Class (1930)
Knox High School Class Play (1912)
Knox High School Football Players (1944)
Knox High School Football Team
Knox High School Football Team (1947)
Knox High School Girls Basketball Team (1927)
Knox High School Junior Class Play (1948)
Knox High School Juniors (1928)
Knox High School Spring Concert
Knox High School Teachers
Knox High School Track Team (1929)
Knox Kindergarten (1946)
Knox Kindergarten (1947)
Knox Ladies Club
Knox Theater
Knox Variety Store
Knox-Center Band (1950)
Koffel’s Drug Store
Koffel’s Drug Store (1891)
Lake Street
L. E. Elder
Livery Stable
Long Thompson Lumber Yard
Main & Washington Streets
Main Street Railroad Crossing
Maude Brown and Gov. Henry F. Schricker
Methodist Church
Methodist Church (1922)
Methodist Sunday School Teachers (1908)
Metzger, Albert
New York Central Depot
Nickel Plate Cafe
Nickel Plate Depot (1895)
Nickel Plate Depot (1910s)
Nickel Plate Depot & Tower
Nickel Plate Locomotives
Osborn’s Variety Store
Patrick Home
Perry Rogers and His Horse Drawn Mail Buggy
Pierson’s General Store
Rogers Family
Seagraves, Bunk
Shaw’s Ice Company
Sheriff’s Picnic
Sheriff’s Residence and Jail
Starke County 8th Grade Graduation
Starke County 8th Grade Graduation (1927)
Starke County Centennial (Horse Drawn Hearse)
Starke County Centennial (VFW)
Starke County Centennial (Man on Horse)
Starke County Courthouse (Wood Frame)
Starke County Officials
Starke County Officials (1901)
Starke County School Board
Starke County Trust & Savings
Steele’s Restaurant
Studebaker & Courthouse
Swartzell Home
Taitel & Sons
Thurman’s Garage
Underground Knox
Vanderweele’s Department Store
Wilhelm’s Grocery Store
Wilken & Musser – D & B Bowling
William Wallace Garner
Windisch Grocery Wagon
Windisch, William
Yellow River Bridge
Zingo Gas Station
Chapter 8 - North Bend Township
Cappis Store, Ora
Dredge
Horner School (1904)
North Bend High School
North Bend Township Basketball Team (1953)
Ora Depot
Ora School (1902)
Ora School
Sellers Family
Williams’ Homestead
Chapter 9 - North Judson
American Oak
Burch’s Opera House
Gayble Theater
Great Supply House
Hotel Transit
Jones Street Scene
Keller Street Home
Lane & Sycamore Streets
Lane Street (West Side)
Lane Street (Looking North)
Methodist Church
Mosher’s General Store
North Judson Catholic School
North Judson City Band
North Judson Fire Department
North Judson High School (1926)
North Judson High School (1945)
North Judson High School Boys Basketball Team (1921)
North Judson High School Boys Basketball Team (1943)
North Judson Ladies Band
North Judson School
North Judson Teachers (1919)
North Judson Town Hall
North Judson Water Works
Sautter’s Boot & Shoe Store
Schricker Family
Watt’s Drug Store
Wobith Family
Chapter 10 - Oregon Township
Anderson Hotel
Burch, Dwight
Grovertown High School (1936)
Grovertown School
Grovertown School (1890s)
Grovertown School (1909)
Northstar
Palm Sunday Tornado
Uncapher’s Store
Chapter 11 - Railroad Township
Ben Hur Boat
English Lake Saloon
House Boat
Kingman’s Store
Rennewanz General Store
Rennewanz, Martha and Meta
San Pierre Evangelical Union Church
San Pierre High School (Before1923)
San Pierre High School (After 1923)
San Pierre High School (1936)
San Pierre High School Boys Basketball Team
San Pierre State Bank
Standard Oil Pumping Station
St. Luke Evangelical Church
Weinkauf Family
Chapter 12 - Washington Township
Eagle Creek Baseball Team
Eagle Creek School
Eagle Creek School (1891)
Eagle Creek School (1929)
Emigh Family
Ober School (Before 1914)
Ober School (After 1914)
Parade Wagon
Wolfe Family
Chapter 13 - Wayne Township
Brantwood School
Casey School
Dolezal Family
Flagg Family
Chapter 1 – Bass Lake
Bass Hotel
This photo of the original Bass Hotel at Bass Lake was probably taken in the late 1890s.
This was before any sort of road had been built along the west side of the lake. Most
guests arrived by row boats that met a larger steam powered boat farther out in the
lake.
The Bass Hotel was owned by Robert M. Rannells and located where 500 S intersects
210. The original hotel as seen in this picture was more like a bed & breakfast. But it
was expanded with additional sleeping and and dining rooms.
When it burned down in 1909, a new larger hotel was built with three floors. It offered
entertainment and dancing every Saturday night. An advertisement said chicken, fish
and frog leg dinners were their specialty. F.J. "Parkie" Gilmore ran the hotel during the
1930s. It too burned down sometime before 1940.
Bass Lake Ball Team
A photo of the Bass Lake Baseball Team is dated about 1918. From left to right, front
row: Ned Trigg. Pete Brown and Herman Rodgers; middle row: Louis Rogers, Alfred
Rogers, Gus Nelson and Ernest Schultz; back row: Carl Marks, Russell Bolen, Ed
Brown, John Merket, unknown and Fred A. White.
All through the 1920’s and 1930’s, many of the local communities here in Starke County
hosted baseball teams, which were sponsored by local businesses and merchants.
Teams such as the Bass Lake White Sox, Hamlet Cubs, Ober Batsmen, Knox Red Sox,
Winona Sluggers, Kankakee Transient Camp, Bass Station Bees, Ora, Eagle Creek,
Grovertown and San Pierre played each other and surrounding counties.
In 1935, they were organized as the Starke County Baseball League, under the amateur
baseball rules of the American Baseball Congress. Winning teams moved on to district
and state tournaments.
Bass Lake Country Club
Elijah and Sally Wood purchased 78 acres, including what became known as Cranberry
Point, on Bass Lake's east side in 1861.
Around 1890 Elijah's daughter Nancy and her husband, William Ayers, permitted an
association of property owners to build the Bass Lake Country Club on their property at
Cranberry Point. It was the scene of many social events, including family reunions.
In 1929, the Indianapolis Naval Reserves Corps rented Cranberry Point, including the
club house, from the Ayers family. Their Naval Academy for boys aged 12 to 18, known
as Camp Gridley, was then moved from Indianapolis up to Bass Lake.
In 1933, Ced White took over the lease and continued to run Camp Gridley as a boy's
camp. When World War II came along, Ced White enlisted in the Army and the camp
sat idle for several years. Eventually the clubhouse was dismantled for its lumber and
reused elsewhere.
After the war, Ced White reopened the camp as a "Dude Ranch" housing the horses in
a barn there on Cranberry Point. After a few years, Ced relocated his Dude Ranch to a
farm east on Hwy 10.
Bass Lake Fire Department
The Bass Lake Fire Department relocated to this new facility in 1947. Earlier the fire
department had been located at Vergin's Garage in Winona.
The photo appears to have been taken sometime in the 1950s. In more recent years,
the firehouse was remodeled and is now home to the Bass Lake Property Owners'
Association.
We believe former Fire Chief George McCormick is standing second from the right. The
museum (772-5393) would appreciate any help identifying the other members of the
department or any information about the fire trucks.
Bass Lake Fish Hatchery
The Bass Lake Fish Hatchery was established by the Indiana Department of Natural
Resources in 1913 at the lake's northeast corner. The hatchery was used to raise fish
for stocking lakes all around the state.
The ponds were originally dug by hand using shovels and wheel barrows. Some of the
local men hired for this task were: Elmer Hewett, Ray Terry, Tom Cleve, Tom Scott, Roy
Connor, Jim Casey, Seth Smith, Harvey Connor, Mel Day, Dick Headley, George Brown
and Pete Lavery.
The fish hatchery was updated in 1928 with two fine brick buildings. One was a
residence and the other a laboratory. John Hay was one of the superintendents at that
time. The buildings were built in the Colonial Revival style and have recently been
recognized by the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. The property and facilities
are now owned by Purdue University.
Bass Lake State Beach
A photo taken in the late 1940s shows the beach house at Bass Lake State Beach.
Earlier in 1931, Indiana Department of Natural Resources decided to purchase this land
and build a state beach. This was in the heights of the Great Depression, and both state
and federal governments were eager to put people to work on public works projects.
Workers used long drag lines to pull sand from the lake's bottom to build the beach. The
soil in that area is composed of a fine natural sand ideal for a beach. Today some of the
sand has been washed back into the lake, and the water's edge is up to the beach
house.
During the 1930s and 40s, a gas station was located directly across from the new
beach. It sold just about anything a tourist might need. During the 1950s, the state
decided to expand and purchased the area across the road for use as a campground.
As a recreation area, the beach dates back to the 1890s, when a privately owned
amusement park known as White City was located in today's campground area. They
featured baseball games, theatrical groups, fireworks and dancing in addition to
amusement rides of the day.
Bass Station General Store
This photo of the general store at Bass Station was taken around 1930. Elmer and
Gladys Lucas bought the store in 1923 and operated it for 26 years. Shown in the photo
are Jim and his twin sister, Marion, with parents Elmer and Gladys. The store was
located on the west side of the road north of the railroad tracks. Hausler & O'Hare
bought the store around 1949 and also operated it for many years.
This was truly a general store. Local farmers would bring chicken eggs in and trade
them for other goods needed on their farms. Packaged fertilizer was somewhat new at
that time and a big seller at the store. The Bass Post Office was also located in the
store. Red Crown gasoline was sold in the hand operated pumps. Jim Lucas tells us his
father taught him to drive using the Model A Ford shown to the left. A one room school
was located on the other side of the road.
In years gone by, Bass Station was a very busy place. It no longer has any kind of road
sign indicating its location, but it was located about a mile and a half south of Bass Lake
on today's US 35.
The Erie Railroad from Chicago went through Bass Station on its way east. Around
1897, a railroad spur was built from Bass Station northward to the lake. Tourists from
Chicago and elsewhere would take the train to Bass Station. From there the train would
back up to Bass Lake and unload at a long pier at the south end of the lake. Steam
boats would pick passengers up at this pier and take them to the many hotels located
around the lake.
Bathers
A group of bathers is shown at Bass Lake around 1905. They may be out of town
visitors that have come to the lake on one of the railroads from Chicago.
The ladies are wearing fashionable bathing suits of the day. This consisted of a blouse
and pants all in one piece, with a matching skirt buttoned at the waist to conceal the
figure. A pair of stockings completed the outfit.
The lady in the center is wearing a very daring outfit, since it exposes her neck. As late
as 1910, a lady might be arrested for exposing her lower legs, upper arms, or neck. It
would be the 1920's before skirts and long pants were not worn when swimming. At the
time of this picture, it was just becoming widely acceptable for women to go swimming.
It would be 1930 before men dared to expose their chests at the beach.
Best View Hotel Beagle Club
Beagles at Bass Lake? An undated picture shows a Beagle Club that met at the Best
View Hotel on Bass Lake’s north end.
Based on the ladies' clothing, we would guess this was taken during the 1920s. The
road appears to be gravel and not yet paved.
The Best View Hotel was originally built by William Henry Emigh in 1905. A 1925
advertisement touted cool rooms, good beds, running water, indoor toilets, screened
porches and electric lights.
The Best View was one of the last of the old hotels operating at the lake when it
became the Shore Room in the 1950s.
How many Beagles can you find in the picture? Answer on next page.
Best View Hotel Scene
This was the scene in front of the Best View Hotel at Bass Lake's north end around
1920. More recently, this spot has been home to the Shore Room.
Notice the unpaved road and telephone lines. This was before electrical power was
available at the lake. These days we forget that people had telephones many years
before they had electrical lights.
The view is looking toward the east, and the building in the background was the bowling
alley at Winona. Legend has it that Diamond Joe Esposito's limousines stirred up a lot
of dust on those dirt roads to everyone's ire. Wanting to be a good neighbor, he saw to it
that the road was paved around the lake in the mid-1920's.
(Answer for previous page’s photo: 21 Beagles)
Bloom’s Store
Bloom's was located at the corner of SR 10 and CR 210 on Bass Lake's east side
where Bass Lake Pub & Ristorante is now located.
This photo from the 1950's is the way many people remember this busy corner in days
gone by. Bloom's was one of the first stops for families vacationing at Bass Lake. As
one of their advertisements used to say "We Have Everything". For kids on summer
vacation from the city, it was like a magic kingdom full of beach toys, kites, balloons, toy
boats and ice cream of every kind. Even local kids found Bloom's a great place to air
their bicycle tires, while enjoying an ice cream bar on a hot summer day.
It was originally built as a Standard Oil filling station around 1920 and operated by
Robert J. Virtue. Besides Red Crown gasoline and oil, he offered telegraph service to
lake vacationers and residents.
Bloom's expanded the original gas station into what we would call a convenience store
today, selling groceries, meat, milk and blocks of ice, as well as a great selection of
summer-time toys for kids eager to spend their allowance.
Brabrook Hotel
In 1891, August White sold 148 acres of mostly swampy farmland along the west side of
then Cedar Lake to Joseph H. Larimer of Peru, Indiana for $2,600. This probably
seemed like a good deal, since Mr. White had bought this same land 13 years earlier for
$450. At that time there was no road at all running along the west side of the lake.
But within two years, Mr. Larimer had subdivided the edges of this property bordering
the lake into 99 lake front lots, including Cedar Point. A dirt road was constructed along
the lake front, and the lots were advertised at $100 to $200 each.
He also built a first-class hotel directly on Cedar Point. An advertisement says it has 512
feet of veranda facing the lake on three fronts. It also says "The mineral waters,
containing iron, sulphur, and other medical properties, are healthful and unsurpassed by
any in Indiana making Cedar Point not only the prettiest and most enjoyable resort for
pleasure, but a health resort, and persons who have used the water from the mineral
well on Cedar Point have been much benefited thereby."
Soon Mr. Larimer was successful in changing the name of Cedar Lake to what we now
know as Bass Lake.
By 1905, the hotel had been sold to William Brabrook, who advertised first class cuisine
and rooms for $8 to $12 per week. The farm land had been sold back to Fred M. White,
who later sold part of it for development into the Bass Lake Golf Course.
Brydon’s Beach
Brydon's Beach was located at the south end of Bass Lake to the west of the marina.
The main attraction was a huge carousel. There was also a Ferris Wheel, which can be
seen to the right of the picture.
Farther back was an arcade. Its sign says "Pennys on Parade, Free Admission". A
shooting gallery was another attraction for summer vacationers.
Harry Rannells originally built the amusement park in the 1930's. Earlier this location
had been home to the Knickerbocker Ice Company.
Buchta’s Store
A photo from the 1950's of Buchta's Place at Bass Lake - Joseph and Pauline Buchta
moved to Starke County from Chicago sometime between 1930 and 1935 and
purchased the former clubhouse of the old Brabrook Hotel.
Both were immigrants from Czechoslovakia. Joseph had been working as a commercial
catalog artist in Chicago. The Buchtas proceeded to rent some of the rooms and called
it Buchta's Hotel and Dining Room. Later, son John Buchta called it simply Buchta's
Place and ran it as a general store.
Earlier, the clubhouse had been used to entertain hotel guests and had a tavern, card
room and billiards. The hotel itself had been built in 1887 by Joe Larimer of Peru,
Indiana. It was the very first of several grand hotels to be built at the lake and had 50
rooms.
The clubhouse had also been built around 1887 by the Peru Hunting and Fishing Club.
In 1904, William Brabrook bought the hotel, clubhouse and Cedar Point grounds with
1,000 feet of lake frontage. The Brabrook Hotel thrived, until it burned down in 1913. Mr.
Brabrook then decided to sell the property and buy a farm in Jackson Township.
The place many of us grew up knowing as Buchta's has been closed the past few years
and this past month was demolished.
Center View Hotel
The Center View Hotel was built on Bass Lake's east side in the area south of
Cranberry Point in 1907.
In those days the road along that stretch ran between the lake and the cottages. Part of
the road can be seen in this picture. A man by the name of C.B. Stange is credited with
moving the road to the high ground, where it is today. Everyone's back door then
became their front door.
Long time lake resident Vera Lorenz helped her mother prepare meals for guests on a
wood cook stove at the hotel. There was no electricity. Kerosene lamps supplied light at
night. Water was obtained from an outdoor hand pump. The ice man brought fresh
blocks of ice several times a week for the ice boxes. The large room on the 3rd floor
where the youngsters slept was divided by hanging curtains for privacy.
These days the Center View is a well cared for residence and was pictured by Historic
Landmarks Foundation in their survey of Starke County.
Cleaves’s Chute
About 100 years ago, Cleave’s Chute was a popular attraction at Bass Lake. It was
located on the lake’s northeast side at Winona and included a beach, where one could
even “rent” bathing suits.
We can only imagine how fast what looks like a traditional toboggan would have
zoomed down this 30 foot drop into the water. Tom Cleave was the owner and operator
of this early Bass Lake establishment.
Soon another slide, even higher, was constructed at the south end of the lake at Bass
Lake Park where Rannell’s Park was later located.
Conner’s Corner
A few weeks ago we ran a photo of Bloom's store at Bass Lake. As a result a reader
provided additional corrected information and today's photo. This photo dated about
1930 shows Harvey and Mary Conner, who ran the store then known as Conner's
Corner until selling it to Mr. Bloom and Mrs. Hunt who ran it in the 1950's.
It was the Conners who expanded the gas station into what we would call a
convenience store today. To the right side was a kitchen and tables where Mary Conner
would prepare lunches or just coffee for Bass Lake folks. A candy case was a favorite
stop for younger visitors.
Harvey's parents, Nelson and Alice Conner, had been early settlers in the Bass Lake
area. Mary's parents, John and Louvina Wagoner, were also early settlers in that area.
From left to right: Robert Virtue, who lived at the Breezy Cliff cottage, Mary (Wagoner)
Conner, daughter Daisy Conner behind her cousin Betty Lou Conner, Harvey Conner
and son Hank Conner.
Crystal Ballroom
A photo loaned to the museum by Louise Williams of Knox shows Ted Weems
Orchestra performing at the Crystal Ballroom at Bass Lake in 1947.
This was one of the last appearances of a "big band" at the lake. Ted Weems Band was
nationally renowned and very popular during the 1930's and 40's. Ted Weems was
associated with Perry Como and Jack Benny, among others.
The four persons in the front are left to right: Robert McFarland, Louise (Rubbi)
Williams, Bob Jackson and Hugo Anderson. Others believed to be in the picture are:
Jim Voris, Ruth (Wells) Lucas, Joanne Rogers, Don Blakely, Barbara Rannells, Herb
Rogers, Bill Owen, Herb Bilderback, Bob Matthew, Jerry Tollar, Alice (Dembowski)
Condon, Casey Shubert, Janet (Garr) Palmer, Helen McFarland, Helen (Dunkelberger)
Butler, Dolores (Burkey) Berg and Joanne (Anderson) Cook.
Ferretti Resort
The Ferretti Resort was located on Bass Lake's southeast side. Guido and Veneta
Ferretti purchased two Bass Lake properties in 1925. One was an empty lake side lot.
The other property was directly across the road and had a large farmhouse. Soon 8
more bedrooms were added to the farmhouse, and the dining room was enlarged to
seat 96 people at a time.
Then a large cottage was built on the lake lot that could sleep another 27 guests. It was
nicknamed the "White House". Additional sleeping cottages were added through the
years.
Three meals a day were served family style, using many home grown products. Guests
were always welcome in the kitchen to taste this or that and congenial conversation.
The Ferrettis retired in 1954 and sold all the property and buildings, except the "White
House". After some remodeling, it became their retirement home for the next 14 years.
The home was sold in 1970 and demolished to make way for a new owner's home.
Thanks to Dottie Ferretti Kasprzak for the photo and information.
Kaley Brother’s Store
Kaley Brothers Store was located in "downtown" Winona on Bass Lake's northeast
corner.
In this 1905 photo postcard, it is advertised as the Marshall Field of Bass Lake. That
might have been an exaggeration, but it was a general store that carried a little bit of
just about anything a person might want back around the turn of the last century.
John and Anna Kaley opened their store in the 1890's and ran it for more than thirty
years. Daughters Lilah and Bulah are shown with their parents standing on the wood
plank sidewalk.
Lilah became a teacher and taught many years at the nearby Winona School.
Klopot Photo Studio
A photo taken in the 1910's shows two ladies with their children in a horse drawn buggy.
They have stopped in front of Klopot's Photo Studio at Bass Lake.
In those days, Sigmund Klopot and his wife, Clara, had a studio at North Judson, Bass
Lake and Knox. The studio at Bass Lake was usually only open on weekends in the
summer. It was located at the north end of the lake in Winona.
The road only went around part of the lake then and was not yet paved. This particular
picture was a photo postcard. Postcards were very popular at that time and only cost
one cent to mail. Photographers used heavy weight photo paper to make personalized
post cards like this one.
Lake Park
A postcard photo dated 1940 shows the business district at the south end of Bass Lake.
US Highway 35 was fairly new and ran directly by the lake back then. It had only been
designated a federal highway since 1934 and was still shared with IN 29.
There were two more filling stations across the road, as well as a stop for Indiana Motor
Bus. An amusement park, ballroom, skating rink and hotel were just to the west.
This had been a busy intersection dating back to the 1890's, when the Erie Railroad
operated a spur line up to a long pier that extended into the lake at this end. Steam
boats picked up tourists and their baggage and delivered them around the lake to
numerous hotels.
Lake Park
A photo taken in the 1930s shows several popular places from the past. The view is
looking west from the intersection of today's US 35 and SR 10 at the south end of Bass
Lake. Back then US 35 was known as SR 29.
On the left side of the intersection, Van's Inn advertises Home Made Pies, Bar-B-Q
Lunches, Beer On Tap and Sinclair Gasoline. The gas pumps appear to be older hand
operated types. Van's was also a stop for Indiana Motor Bus.
The large building in the center was the Crystal Hotel. The well known Crystal Ballroom
was to its left out of sight.
A Texaco station to the right advertises a Delicatessen and Groceries. These gas
pumps may have electric pumps. The Coca-Cola cooler would have used blocks of ice
to keep soft drinks cold.
Two men are talking in front of Dale Fishburn's garage. A sign advertises spark plugs
for 5 cents.
Lake Park Garage
A picture taken in the 1930s shows Dale Fishburn in front of his Lake Park Garage at
the south end of Bass Lake. Signs advertise Johnson Gasoline, a brand then sold
through a refinery in Chicago.
Dales' assistant was known as "Hinie". The wrecker appears to be homemade but ready
to do the job.
Today this location is a vacant lot and was last home to "The Breakers". For many years
that area of the lake was known as Lake Park and included a train stop, amusement
park and one-room school, as well as several other gas stations and stores.
Thanks to Dorothy (Ferretti) Kasprzak for donating this interesting photo to the museum.
Lakeside Grocery
A photo taken around 1950 shows the Lakeside Grocery at Bass Lake. It was located in
Winona at the lake's north end and had been known as Roepstorff's through the 1930's
and 40's.
Brothers William and Edward Roepstorff bought the store in the late 1920's from Tom
Cleave. They sold just about anything a vacationer or tourist might want; souvenirs, icecream, candy, sodas, cigars, groceries, white gas, as well as rental boats and rooms.
Roepstorff's Park was next door to the left and featured a giant wooden water slide built
by Tom Cleave. Henry Vergin's bowling alley and movie theater were just to the right of
Lakeside Grocery.
Mae Villa
Joseph Esposito was born in Italy in 1871. Around 1900, he came to America and first
worked as a baker in Brooklyn, New York. Soon he moved to Chicago, where he
became a very powerful ward committee man with many business interests. He was
especially fond of wearing diamonds and soon became known as "Diamond Joe".
The story goes that he spent several months vacationing back in Italy around 1920.
While there, he stayed at a magnificent Italian Villa. He was so enthralled by this villa,
that he decided to build his own villa on Cedar Point at Bass Lake. He named his new
villa "Mae Villa", a nickname his young wife, Carmella, used. This is a view of the villa
looking south, probably taken from the Taggert Hotel pier.
Diamond Joe was known locally as a good supporter of Knox and Bass Lake activities,
including an annual 4th of July fireworks display.
He was also instrumental in the paving of the road around Bass Lake. When he visited
Bass Lake, it involved as many as 20 or more autos in a caravan. This would stir up
quite a bit of dust to the dismay of local residents. Always willing to please his local
neighbors, he saw to it that the road around the lake was paved.
Diamond Joe Esposito was gunned down by unknown assassins on a Chicago Street in
1928, but the family continued to vacation at their Bass Lake home for many years.
Later the family did sell the property, and it was remodeled into the Club Riviera, a
restaurant and tavern. The Riviera burned down in 1981 and was replaced by a private
residence.
Miss Bass Lake 1926
In 1926, the Taggert Hotel, near Cedar Point at Bass Lake, sponsored a Bathing Beauty
Contest. Miss Bonnie Rogers was declared Miss Bass Lake. Miss Rogers was given a
loving cup, a three-pound box of candy, a bottle of perfume, and a fancy pair of garters.
Emily McCormick was second and Mildred Tompkins third. Others participating in the
event were Misses La Verne and Vivian Cannon, Dorothy DeMont, Artis Loudermilk,
Dorothy Crews, Esther Neupert and Violet Engle.
Later Bonnie Rogers became Mrs. Bonnie Taylor and was the secretary at the Knox
High School for many years.
Miss Bass Lake Contestants 1926
The first Miss Bass Lake Beauty Contest was held in 1926 at the Taggart Hotel. An
orchestra played "Valencia" as the beauty contestants paraded before the judges.
There was no talent competition.
Five girls were selected on each Sunday August 8th and 15th. Bonnie Rogers was
named Miss Bass Lake from among the ten finalists on Sunday August 22nd. She was
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Perry Rogers of Knox. Emily McCormick won 2nd place
and Mildred Thompson won third. The other seven contestants were Esther Neupert,
Violet Engle, Ardis Loudermilk, Dorothy Crews, Dorothy DeMont, LaVerne and Vivian
Cannon.
The event was promoted by Mrs. Mary K. Rickett and held at the Taggart dance pavilion
on the lake's west side across from Diamond Joe Esposito's villa. The judges were John
Boa, Hugh King, Dick Upsall and Carrol Johnson. Louis J. Kren, editor of the Bass Lake
Times, and William Bogan, manager of the Taggart Hotel, presented the silver loving
cup to Miss Rogers. Each girl received a three-pound box of candy, a bottle of perfume
and a fancy pair of garters. The prizes were donated by Knox and Bass Lake Business
Men. Matt Bonner was the official photographer.
Bonnie Rogers is holding the silver cup in this photo. We believe Emily McCormick is
next and then Mildred Thompson. We are not sure of the order of the other seven
contestants.
Rannell’s Motor Bus
The Rannell’s Family operated a hotel at Bass Lake around the turn of the last century
known as the Bass Hotel. This is a picture of the taxi they used to pickup hotel guests at
the Knox and Bass Station railroad depots. This driver was James Lanery.
Notice the wheels with wooden spokes, the chain driven rear wheels, the carbide lamps
and the porter ready to assist hotel guests - not to mention a dog’s age old fascination
with tires.
Shore Room
A photo taken in 1964 shows the well known Shore Room at Bass Lake.
It was originally built in 1905 by William Henry Emigh as the Best View Hotel. It had 25
guest rooms and a dining room that could seat 100. William Henry was 40 years old
when he gave up farming in Washington Township, moved to Bass Lake with his wife
Mary and took up the hotel business.
A 1925 advertisement touted "cool rooms, good beds, running water, indoor toilets,
screened porches and electric lights".
The Best View was one of the last of the old hotels operating at the lake when it
became the Shore Room in the late 1950's. The original structure burned down some
years ago and was replaced with the present building.
Steam Boats
In 1899 George Peterson built and launched the Majestic. It was a double-decker steam
boat that could carry 300 people. In 1900 he built the Leatha Mae and in 1903 the
Conradine.
This photo is dated around 1905 and shows, left to right: the Conradine, Majestic and
Leatha Mae.
The steam boats were docked at a long pier at the south end of the lake near today’s
marina. The Erie Railroad spur would bring tourists and vacationers to the pier, and
then the steam boats would take them to the many hotels around the lake. A certain
number of whistles signaled a boat was approaching each hotel, so that porters could
be ready to carry baggage.
Some of the boats also carried groceries and other supplies to local residents, as well
as the hotels. In those days, these boats were essential. One hundred years ago, only
short sections of the lake had a road. The roads to Knox and Winamac were
unimproved and precarious at best.
Taggart Hotel
The Taggart Hotel was located across from Cedar Point on Bass Lake's west side.
It adjoined the Blue Dog dance pavilion shown to the left in this photo taken in the late
1920's. The Blue Dog was a very popular place and featured big name bands.
Mr. and Mrs. Will Bogan ran the hotel at that time. They advertised hot and cold running
water in the rooms, private bathrooms, electric lights and five mineral wells on the
property.
The first Miss Bass Lake contest was held at Taggart's pavilion in 1926. Diamond Joe
Esposito’s villa was just across the road.
Built in 1900, the former hotel burned down in the 1950's while undergoing remodeling
for a new owner.
Tomassi’s Resort
Tomassi’s Resort on 700 East in North Bend Twp was a very popular place in the
1920’s and for many years afterward. The resort featured an open dance pavilion and a
bath house. There were a number of buildings; including the unique six sided building
shown in this photo. There was a lane or path that ran alongside the fish hatchery that
connected the resort to Winona half a mile away.
Joseph Tomassi came to America from Poland in 1906. Soon he married Stephanie,
also from Poland. Daughters, Elida and Laura were born to them in the 1920’s and
attended local schools. Mr. Tomassi’s deep respect for America is evident in his tribute
to the Statue of Liberty in this photo.
The 40 acre plot on which Joseph Tomassi built his resort was purchased from Warren
Terry in the 1920’s. Sometime in the 1970’s, the Ukranian Orthodox Church bought the
land and established St. Anthony’s Monastery on it. It was closed a few years ago and
much of it was recently damaged by a fire.
Van’s Inn
Van's Inn was located at the south end of Bass Lake where the Sand Bar is located
today. Van's was a combination service station, bus stop and restaurant during the
1930's up through the late 1950's.
Travelers on Indiana Motor Buses would have no doubt appreciated their facilities after
the trip up from Logansport. Their Bar-B-Q sandwiches were very popular with local
residents. They also featured home made pies and fountain service.
Motorists would have filled up with Sinclair H-C Gasoline, the first industry's first high
octane premium gasoline, and topped their oil off with Sinclair Emerald Motor Oil.
Gasoline was about 16 cents per gallon at the time of this photo.
Before Van's Inn, this stop was Wolfe's Place. They also featured Bar-B-Q sandwiches.
Winona
The west side of downtown Winona is shown in this photo dated about 1940. The view
is looking north. From left to right: Roepstorff's Store, the Bowling Alley and Eykes
Tavern.
Winona is an Indian word meaning "first born female". Quite a few places were named
Winona in the late 1800's. Some say it was named after a town in Wisconsin by the
same name. Others say the group that built the Winona Bible Conference Center at
Warsaw chose Bass Lake first but changed their minds.
We do know that the US Postal Service opened a post office at this northeast corner of
Bass Lake with the name Winona on March 20, 1891.
By 1920, Winona was a bustling little town with a bowling alley, movie theater, water
park, school, several hotels, grocery stores and taverns.
Winona Band Concert
A Band Concert at Bass Lake around 1915 in Winona - this scene is in front of Vergin’s
Movie Theatre, which showed the latest “silent” movies of the day.
The street is not yet paved and must have been dusty at times and muddy at other
times.
No doubt, movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Lilian Gish, Buster Keaton, Rudolph
Valentino and Clara Bow thrilled summer time audiences at the lake with comical antics
and mystery, all without the benefit of sound.
Winona Business Section
This view of what was once called Bass Lake's "business section" at Winona appears to
be looking north from Cottage Avenue.
Dan's Restaurant is to the left. There appears to be a barber pole just beyond Dan's.
The large home to the right advertises "tourist rooms" and has a sign for Ned's Boats.
This photo was probably taken just before WWII. Part of the east side of Winona burned
down in the 1940s. Notice the telephone poles and lines, no longer a common sight,
running down the west side of the street.
Winona Fire Department
A photo taken during the 1920's shows the Winona - Bass Lake Fire Department
checking out what may be a new fire truck.
The photo was taken in front of the Woodlawn Hotel, which was located at the
intersection of CR 625 E. and CR 210. Earlier the Woodlawn had been known as the
Chittick Hotel.
The engine appears to be drawing water directly out of the lake. In those days, the fire
truck was kept at Vergin's garage in Winona at the north end of the lake.
Winona School
The earliest school on the North Bend side of Bass Lake was located at the northeast
corner of 700 E. and 400 S., which is east of the Bass Lake Cemetery.
This photo was taken around 1908 in late fall or early spring. We can't be sure of the
occasion, but there appear to be a number of parents and adults in attendance. Even
the students are dressed up. It may be an open house for a new school building, since it
has not yet been painted.
This wood frame school was replaced by a two-story brick school in 1922. It was built
just south of the fish hatchery, and is now home to the Bass Lake Lions.
Winona School
The Winona or Bass Lake School was built in 1922 at a cost of $10,000. Grades 1 - 8
were taught there until North Bend Twp students were consolidated into the Culver
School System in the 1960's. The property is now home to the Bass Lake Lion's Club.
This photo shows the 1952-53 First Grade class. Mrs. Landrum was the teacher. From
left to right, back row: Bobby White, David Piper, Joseph Tomsovic, Jimmy Meeks,
Jimmy Wilson, Devon Scott, Jimmy Mills, Paul Madsen, Houie Paithel, Dickie Anderson
and George Herr. Front row: Margie Dunkelberger, Cynthia Lapaz, Carol Herr, Anita
Pulla, Rita Pulla, Brenda Howard, Donna Scott, Mary Ann Conner and Judy Mills.
Woodlawn Hotel
The Woodlawn Hotel was located at the corner of CR 625 E. and CR 210 at Bass
Lake's north end. It was originally built as the Chittick House in 1887. According to Mrs.
Ruth Cox, a doctor in Frankfort, IN gave her grandfather James Chittick only a year to
live. He loved Bass Lake, so at the age of 38 he decided to move to the lake and spend
his last year fishing and relaxing. Later James recalled there were only 5 families living
right on the lake when he moved there in 1887.
He and his wife Matilda built a small cottage at first. But soon they had to add on to
accommodate their many friends. Over the years the small house grew into the hotel we
see in this photo. Despite his doctor’s prognosis, James lived to the age of 90. He
attributed his longevity to the healthful living at Bass Lake.
The Chitticks decided to retire from the hotel business in 1926 and sold the hotel to the
Shoemakers. They ran it many more years as the Woodlawn Hotel. It may have been
the last hotel at Bass Lake from a bygone era when it closed in the late 1950's. Part of
the former hotel was operated as a bakery for another 20 years or so before the old
hotel burned down in the 1970's.
Chapter 2 – California Township
Aldine School
A photo of Aldine's one-room school is dated 1908. Located about four miles south-west
of Bass Lake on the former Erie Railroad line, Aldine was founded in 1882.
By the turn of the last century, it was a thriving community of 100 people, with several
stores, a post office, Gleaner Hall, church, school and railroad facilities. This particular
school building was built in 1894 and was known as the "Frog Pond School".
Miss Anna Marie Tracy was the teacher in this photo. Her wages were $2.39 per day. A
North Judson girl, she roomed and boarded with Mrs. Lewis German of Aldine during
the week.
Students in the photo are: Perry Lucas, Grace Weidner, Cecil Weidner, Ola Weidner,
Wm. Weidner, Loid Reed, Arthur Reed, Otis German, Lulu Brooks, Florence Reprogle,
Olive Hackman, Mabel Ludders, Irene Ludders, Harold Stiles, Esther Stiles and Mary
Reed.
California Township Map
This 1876 map of California Township shows the Round Lake area and roads during the
times discussed in the Old Settlers news articles. There are four one-room schools
shown; Aldine, Geneseo, Spoor and White. They would have most likely still been of the
log cabin type. The church shown is the Round Lake Church, which would have been of
the United Brethren faith at that time.
The creek is the Cedar Lake Outlet, one of the few natural streams in Starke County. It
carried the overflow from both Round Lake and Bass Lake (Cedar Lake) over to the
Kankakee River near a place called Governor's Island. Muskrat Mill was located at the
asterisk just west of the township line on this same creek.
Very few roads followed the section lines as we are accustomed. Instead they followed
the sand ridges to avoid the swamps. A sharp eye will notice there were no roads where
SR 10 and US 35 now run. A large swamp prevented direct travel between Bass Lake
and Knox, and only small portions of Bass Lake had any sort of road.
California Township Basketball Team
California Township's 1958 - 59 "A" team is shown in this photo. From left to right: Alan
Hyland, Bob Smith, Deris Ritchie, Ed Kimmie, Ron Buckley, Charlie Rudd, Art Trent,
Ricky Ferguson, Richard Ososkie and Harry Montgomery. Marcus Lucas, Wayne
Reeves and Larry Pingel assisted Coach Lum Williams. Principal Beitelshees is
standing to the left.
Ron Buckley and Harry Montgomery went on to play basketball at Knox High School
during the 1960's.
The California Twp school had been built in 1930, replacing several one-room schools;
Aldine, Bass Station, Benton Grove, Center (same site as new 1930 school), Maple
Grove, Spoor and White. That first year 24 students graduated from the 8th grade. The
last 8th grade graduation was held in 1971 with 36 graduates.
The school continued to offer education for grades 1 - 6 until 1991. The former township
school continues to be a well maintained facility today and is the home of the Kankakee
Valley International Christian Center.
California Township School
This school picture taken in 1950 shows Mrs. Purden Lausten's 5th grade class at
California Twp School. The photo was taken in one of the original 1930 classrooms
before a new addition was added around 1952.
From front to back starting on the left: Terry Brooke, Steven Stone, Stanley Groschek,
Marge Sapp, Gloria Byers and Mrs. Purden Lausten (Teacher); Norma Baughman, ___,
Betty Desho, Dale Burger, Louise Krushek and George Badell; Edythe Howard, Jewell
Rudd, ___ Borman, Glen Winfrey, Pat Manns and Fred Manns; Virginia Salinas, ___
Goble, Mable Bradley, Russell Begley, Betty Betts and Frances Evers.
Mrs. Lausten passed away recently at the age of 98. She had taught elementary school
for many years touching the lives of nearly 1,000 children. Thirty of those years were
spent at the California Twp School beginning in the mid-1940's as a music teacher.
Her interest in teaching began as a child, when she practiced teaching the three R's to
her dolls. Many of her former students will also remember Mrs. Lausten as a 1st grade
teacher who tried to teach more than 2 + 2 and the ABC's. She also tried to teach
honesty, truthfulness and kindness. Even after retirement in 1973, she continued to
tutor and teach music privately.
The 3rd Grade is shown in this photo from the 1953-1954 class.
Back Row, Left to Right: Wayne Reeves, Jim Poort, Bobby Pelfrey, Bobby Mann,
Richard Ososki, Tommy Thompson, Robert Palek and Roger Nickels. Middle Row:
Janice Minix, Annabelle Richie, Geraldine Williams, Frances Stacy, Harold Short, Kay
Morgan, Ellen McFarland and Mrs. Gurrado. Front Row: Everett White, Muretta
Scheredt, Barbara Runyon, Michelle Zoll, Diane Pinson, Joanne Mocko, Nancy Spoor
and Sammy White.
California Twp's 1959-1960 8th Grade class is shown in this photo.
Starting with the left row, front to back: Ronald Buckley, Patty Lucas, Shilla Combs,
Mavis Combs, Bill Boswerth and Vivian Noble; Freida Stacy, James McFarland, Joe
Locke, June Zingarelli, Susan Moore and Alford Bailey; Jim Poort, Marvin Allen, Mike
Prybylski, Arnold Trent, J.B. Miller and Ellen McFarland; Linda Barker, Larry Pingel,
Harrel Ramey, Bobbie Jean Fields and Bonnie Allen. Harry Montgomery is standing
beside teacher Robert McIntire.
Lucas Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Marcellus and Bertha (Clemens) Lucas’ farm
was about 2 miles south of Aldine. It was established around 1894. Over the years the
farm came to be called the “Big Eastern” farm. It was named after a large, swampy bog
in that vicinity which was later drained.
Besides raising onions, potatoes and peppermint, Marcellus owned and operated a
threshing outfit that was used to harvest crops for neighboring farms.
Prior to moving to Aldine, Marcellus and Bertha started their family in a log cabin at
Round Lake in 1885.
Left to right: Arminthia (Diehl) Lucas, Hugh Rogers, Elva Lucas, Bertha Lucas, Perry
Lucas, Clarabelle Lucas and Marcellus Lucas. This photo was taken on the family farm
south of Aldine around 1908.
Raschka Homestead
The farm homestead of Lewis and Lulu (Flagg) Raschka was just 3/4 mile east of
Round Lake on what is now CR 450 S. Lewis was born and lived on this farm all his life.
His parents, John and Mary (Kane) Raschka, had married and moved there in 1852.
These hard working German pioneers started out in a log cabin and gradually increased
their farm to 140 acres.
When the Civil War broke out, John enlisted in the Union army and served 3 years on
the battle front. After coming home from the war, John and Lulu raised a large family on
the farm. His son, Lewis, now calls it "The Twin Oaks Dairy and Stock Farm" as shown
in this photo dated about 1915.
Their Paige auto, shown in the photo, was a Model 36 Glenwood 5 passenger touring
car. These cars were advertised as "the most beautiful cars in America". They were
painted a dark Richelieu blue with black running gear. They featured left hand drive,
electric lighting and a 36hp 4 cylinder engine. Paige autos were considered Detroit's
premiere automobile at that time and sold for $1,275.
Round Lake Church
This picture of the Round Lake Church was taken for the 21st Annual Round Lake
Homecoming and Reunion in 1942.
According to the reunion records; Rev. Charles Morse was the pastor, Clara Hansen
was the Sunday School assistant and Lois Hansen was the secretary. Audrey Short
was the pianist. Harriet Lucas was president of the Ladies Aid Society. Anna Lindstrand
was the assistant and Inez Hewlett was the secretary.
Charles Lucas was president of the Old Settlers Organization. Henry White was
president of the Cemetery Association. Governor Henry F. Schricker gave a talk during
the program.
This church had replaced the original log building which had been built around 1850 by
the United Brethren. It was believed to have been the first church erected in Starke
County. It was built of hewn logs and chinked, but not plastered. The foundation
consisted of large boulders. The floor was of native wide oak boards. It was lighted by
kerosene lamps and heated by a box type wood stove.
That first church was located on the cemetery grounds. The church shown in the picture
was built across the road in 1885, where it stands today.
Shilling Home
William and Lovina (Gesaman) Shilling were one of our earliest pioneer families having
moved to the Round Lake area around 1851.
They had traveled from "Stark" County, Ohio on the Wabash & Erie Canal to
Logansport and then by wagon team to California Township here in our "Starke"
County. There were no roads in the county at that time.
Their 160 acre farm was located south-east of what is now CR 200 E and CR 350 S;
about a half mile east of the Round Lake Church.
Starting with a log cabin in the new wilderness, they lived off the wild game, fish and
fruit that was plentiful in the marshes, as they developed their homestead into the scene
shown in this photo taken about 1895. This home, built around 1880, is said to have
been the first frame house built in the area.
Spoor School
The Round Lake area was one of the first areas settled by early pioneers in Starke
County in the late 1840's. In the early 1850's, a log cabin school was erected on William
C. Spoor's farm about a mile north-west of Round Lake. Today this would be on CR 400
S about a half mile east of Range Rd.
That first school was built of round unhewn logs. The seats and desks were made of
rough split logs. A stone and mud fireplace provided heat.
This photo is dated 1914 and shows the fourth Spoor School, which was built in 1911. It
was located at the south-east corner of CR 400 S and CR 100 E.
The teacher is Grover Short. Some of the children are Florence, Ada and John
McFarland; Dave and Berl Spoor; other children may have included the Davis, Hansen,
Miller, Short and Collins families.
The school was used until 1930, when all the one room schools in California Twp (Bass
Station, Benton Grove, Maple Grove, Spoor and White) were consolidated.
Spoor School
Students at the Spoor one-room school are show in this photo dated 1926. Miss Bernice
Short taught all eight grades. Anna Hansen and Frank McFarland were the only two 8th
grade graduates that year. They would have helped teach the younger children.
A school had been in this general area since the 1850's, when it was built of unhewn
logs. This brick school was built in 1911 at a cost of $2,500. It was located at the
southeast corner of 400S and 100E.
The school was discontinued in 1930, when all California Twp one-room schools were
consolidated into the new school on SR10.
From left to right, back row: Miss Bernice Short (teacher), Alonzo Chapman, Frank
McFarland, Anna Hansen, Nancy McFarland and Gladys Davis. Middle row: Floyd
Hansen, Robert Ernsberger, Robert Rodgers, Carl Hansen, Glen Chapman, Linus
Spoor and Lyman Spoor. Front row: Charles McFarland, Loyd Ernsberger, Conradine
Rodgers, Mildred Hansen and Vista Walters.
Stephenson Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Albion and Mahala (Welsh) Stephenson are
shown with four of their children in this picture dated about 1908. From left to right:
Elizabeth, Jessie, Mahala, Albion, Florence and Bonnie. They were married in 1880 and
lived on a farm on 300 East just north of what is now SR 10 in California Twp.
Back in those days, many folks believed painting a house or barn caused it to
deteriorate faster. From this picture, we can see Mr. Stephenson subscribed to that
theory. Also note the wood blocks nailed to the roof to make it easier to clean the
chimneys.
Mahala’s father was Abram Welsh, who was known locally as “Daniel Boone of Starke
County”. He was one of the very earliest settlers in Starke County and built a mill along
Cedar Lake Outlet known as Muskrat Mill.
White Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Frederick and Emma (Podell) White are shown
standing in front of their homestead in California Twp. This photo was taken around
1902 in front of their farm home, which later served as the clubhouse for the Bass Lake
Golf Course.
Frederick’s father, August White (Weiche) had come to America from Germany in 1848
and eventually settled on the west shores of Bass Lake in 1878.
At that time, the land west of Bass Lake was a swampy wilderness, and the Golf Course
Road did not even exist. August and his sons, Frederick, Albert, William and Henry
cleared the trees with teams of oxen and turned the wilderness into farm land.
From left to right: Fred, Everett, Emma, Frederick, Clarence and Isadore White.
White Farm
Freddie, Edo, Clarence, Vada and Fred M. White are shown in this photo dated about
1910. Fred and Emma White's farm was located on present day Bass Lake Golf
Course.
The White's started their homestead in 1889 by clearing 33 acres. They eventually
expanded the farm to 217 acres and 15 lakeside lots before selling to the golf course
developers in 1927.
Note the huge stack of straw left by recent threshing and the team of oxen. Many
farmers used oxen before tractors because of their strength and gentle nature.
White Farm
A Curtis JN-4 (Jenny) biplane lands on the Frederick M. White farm on Bass Lake’s
west side around 1917.
The White farm included present day’s Bass Lake Golf Course, where this picture was
taken. Frederick M. White, his wife Emma and youngest son, Forrest, are standing near
the horses on the left side of the picture. The airplane belonged to their friends from
Chicago.
This was only 14 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright had achieved man’s first
successful airplane flight and only 6 years after Cal Rodgers crossed America by
airplane. It would be 10 more years before Charles Lindbergh would dare cross the
Atlantic.
The Jenny had a 90 horsepower V-8 liquid cooled engine that gave it a top speed of 75
miles per hour and a ceiling of 11,000 feet. The Jenny became especially popular with
stunt performers who thrilled audiences by walking its wings and doing aerial trapeze
stunts.
Chapter 3 – Center Township
Adkins School
A century ago the Adkins one-room school was located a mile south of Knox at the
northeast corner of today's US 35 and 200 South. It had been located there since at
least 1876. Officially it was known as the District #3 School of Center Twp. It was
discontinued in 1910, when Center Township School was built.
What was to become US 35 was then a gravel road and considered "improved". Hugh
Rogers' 80 acre Tiger Lilly Fruit Farm was located just south of the school.
The teacher in this 1902 photo was Frank W. Kratli, son of Knox businessman John G.
Kratli and wife Mary. Back row, left to right: Maud Alley, __ Fritz, Clara Schultz, Clara
Peele, Anna Kratt, Charlie Peele, Ben Rogers, Myrtle Wiser and Richard Fritz. Middle
row: unknown, Rose Kratt, Arnold Kriss, Lena Schultz, Fred Admire, Louise Alley and
Glen Thomas. Front row: Albert Kriss, Fred Schultie, __ Schultz, Alice Baldwin, Lena
Klukas, Abbey Alley and Dan Alley (twins).
Black Bridge
The "Black" bridge is shown in this photo taken by Joe Cox in 1940. It was located
where the Yellow River crosses 300E on west side of Knox. The view is looking south.
You may notice what are now the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks in the distance.
The road was gravel in those days with wood planks running lengthwise across the
bridge. We suspect this bridge dates back to the 1890s, when part of the Yellow River
was straightened. An 1898 map shows 8 bridges crossed the Yellow River throughout
Starke County.
This Pratt thru truss type bridge was typical of the bridges of that era. Many of these
graceful iron bridges were no doubt built by Rochester Bridge Co. of Rochester, IN.
Brems Depot
This week’s historical photo shows the Brems Depot around 1920. Most of us think of
this railroad as the Nickel Plate, but it was originally built as the New York, Chicago &
St. Louis Railroad and constructed through Starke County in 1882.
It was the 5th railroad to be routed through Starke County, but only the 1st to be routed
through Knox, the county seat.
Brems is one of the few communities in Starke County that existed before railroads. It
was first known as Jackson Island and was built upon the site of a large Pottawatomie
Indian camp.
The railroad first called it Jackson Station then later changed the name to Nickel Plate
Station. Sometime in the late 1800’s, it was again renamed to Brems after Louis Brems,
a local resident and frequent RR passenger. At one time, it was one of the largest wild
hay shipping points in the area.
Today this RR is part of the Norfolk Southern RR System and is the most actively used
track through the county, with 25 trains running daily. From Knox it runs on down
through Ober, Burr Oak, Argos, Mentone, and on to Ft. Wayne. Northwest from Brems it
runs through Wanatah, Valparaiso and in to the Chicago area.
Brems School
The Brems School class of 1923-1924 is shown in this photo. All eight grades were
taught by one teacher in the one-room school. The building was in use from 1895
through 1925 and later used as a residence.
From left to right, front row: Arthur Christoph, Edward Scroggins, Billy Sims, Carl Busse,
Harold Allen, Elmer Hyatte, Frank Swanson, Glen Pike, John Wentland and Kenneth
Lineback. Middle row: Laura Smith, Helen Hyatte, June Milbrath, Lydia Allen, Clara
Hyatte, Evelyn Busse, Lonore Downey, Dean Clark and Frank Pulver. Back row:
Catherine Nave (Teacher), Paul Clark, Lester Smith and William Allen.
Center High School Girls Basketball Team
Center High School's 1927-1928 Girls' Basketball Team is shown in this photo loaned to
the museum by Susie Szynalski.
A gym had been built at Center HS in 1927, and we believe this was the first year for
girls' basketball at the school. The Center girls not only had outstanding basketball
teams, but were very successful at baseball, volley ball and track. For reasons unknown
to us today, girls' basketball was discontinued at all area schools in 1936.
From left to right standing: Anna Hansen, Ethel Youngquist, Elizabeth Rohr, Mabel
Wilson, Roberta Murray, Marjorie Wilson, Lilly Jurewitz, Mary Wiezcki, Belle Irelan
(Coach); front row: Jennie Bascom, Helma Maki, Lottie Junczura, Ella Jurwitz, Blanche
Zaijack and Ione Warner.
Center High School Girls Basketball Team
Center High School’s 1928-1929 Girls Basket Ball Team. Left to right: Margaret Folkers,
Mabel Wilson, Anna Hansen, Ethel Youngquist, Coach Frank Young, Sylvia Gappa,
Mary Wiczycki, Ione Warner and Roberta Murray.
Center High School was located just west of Knox at 50 S and 300 E. It was built in
1910 to replace all the one room schools in Center Township. Later, it also included
parts of Jackson Township.
The school opened on December 5, 1910 and burned down on January 9, 1942. At that
time, it merged with the Knox school system.
Center Township School
It was another sub-zero day back on January 7, 1942. The coal fired boilers were
working hard to keep the class rooms at Center Township School comfortable enough.
Shortly after noon, flames were discovered over the furnace room. An overheated
chimney had ignited the interior wood frame. Alarms were sounded and the school
children were evacuated in fifty-one seconds, many leaving their winter coats and boots
behind.
While firemen worked to bring the blaze under control, school buses took the freezing
children home. The fire was soon extinguished and several firemen remained at the
school all afternoon watching for more signs of trouble.
But shortly after 6 PM, the fire broke out again and quickly engulfed the domestic
science room. Outside the reach of the town water supply, the school well was no
match for the blaze, which soon spread to the gymnasium.
Having resorted to bucket brigades, the firemen were forced to abandon their efforts to
save the school. Center Township School, built in 1910, was a total loss.
Center Township School Teachers
A photo taken around 1932 shows the staff at Center Township School. From left to
right, back row: Montford Barr, Frank Young, George Stevens (custodian), Frank Lane,
Dale Hughes (principal), Effie Johnston, Glenda Stevenson, Harriet Paddock, Alice
Hauser, Fern Parks and Elsie Uncapher.
Center Twp School was the first consolidated school in Starke County. It was built at the
northwest corner of 50 S. and 300 E. in 1910. It replaced seven one-room schools
(Jackson, German, Atkins, Bigler, Harden, Klein and Nickel Plate) in Center Twp.
When it burned down January 7, 1942, students were transferred to the Knox School
Corporation.
The Starke County Historical Society has applied for a Historical Marker to
commemorate this historically important school.
Hoffer Family
John and Rilla Hoffer had five children, all boys; Velmore, Kenneth, Ray, Calvin and
Ralph. They were farmers.
What makes this family unique is they were the only Starke County family with all five of
their children serving in World War II at the same time.
Their alone mother, Rilla, displayed five stars in one of her windows. Her husband,
John, had passed away by that time. Kenneth was captured twice by the Germans and
served time in concentration camps. Ray was wounded and partly disabled during the
war. All five Hoffer boys returned home safely after the war.
Proud and strong, Rilla Hoffer is shown with her oldest son, Velmore, in this photo.
Meineka Farm
A threshing scene on the farm of Fred and Catherine (Eisele) Meineka around 1910.
Their 330 acre farm was located just north of Knox along the east side of present day
US 35. Both Fred and Mary were children of German immigrants who came to America
in the 1840's.
Harvesting crops with a threshing outfit was different than using today's single pass
combines. Usually a group of local farmers would form a "threshing ring" with one of
them owning the expensive thresher and steam engine. The other farmers would "trade"
portions of their grain for the threshing service.
The machine in this photo is a Peoria Threshing Machine. Threshing was also different
in that the grain was brought to the stationary threshing machine on horse drawn
wagons. The grain had been cut using horse drawn binding machines that cut and tied
the grain stalks into "sheaves" or bundles.
The threshing outfit was moved and set up on each farm. Just moving it was time
consuming at 2-3 miles per hour. Local boys were given the job of carrying water to the
workers and the steam engine, as well as wood for the boiler.
Women would prepare huge meals for the field workers. Threshing day was one of the
big annual events everyone looked forward to back then.
Pulver Family
In a photo dated about 1915, Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Pulver and his wife Carrie
(Gates) of Plymouth are shown visiting Brem's relatives, Martha (Pulver) Smith, his
niece, and William Pulver, his nephew.
On the far left is Edwin and Martha (Pulver) Smith. To Martha's upper right is daughter,
Ruth. Below Martha is son, James. Martha and Edwin's other daughter, Margaret is
seated on the running board to the right of Benjamin and Carrie's daughter, Lillian.
Benjamin Pulver is behind the wheel. Beside him is his William's wife, Mae (Cooper)
Pulver. Her husband, William Pulver, is sitting on the car's hood. William's Aunt Carrie is
sitting on the bumper with his son, William "Frank" Pulver. Later in 1940 this little boy
sitting on the bumper would be instrumental in bringing REMC electricity to rural Starke
County.
This early auto appears to be a 1914-15 Dodge Touring Car. It would have had side
curtains for rainy or cold weather. It was the first auto to have an all steel body, instead
of a wood/metal composite body. It's 4 cyl engine was rated at 35 horsepower. The 4
door model sold for $785.
At the time of the Pulver's visit, a gravel road was considered an "improved road". It
would be 12 more years before the first paved road, Old US 30 / Lincoln Highway, came
to Starke County.
Shilling Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Edgar and Flora (Hardesty) Shilling are shown
with relatives on Thanksgiving Day in 1916.
Edgar’s father, William F. Shilling, was one of the first pioneers to locate in Starke
County in the year 1852. This was before any local roads or railroads. He and his young
bride, Lovina, traveled by flat boat from Stark Co., OH on the Wabash & Erie Canal to
Logansport, IN and then by horse and wagon to California Twp.
There they raised their family, while building a very productive farm in the wilderness
near Round Lake. It was there that Edgar was born in 1857.
From left to right by relationship to Edgar: Elmer (son), Flora (wife), Sally Chidester
(wife’s aunt), Nancy & William Spiker (wife’s parents), Mabel (Russell’s wife), Oakie
(Elmer’s wife), Mabel (daughter) and Russell (son). Front: Edgar W. Shilling, Marjorie
(grand-daughter) and Jack Wittrup (grand-son).
Chapter 4 – Davis Township
Hardesty Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: the family of Hamlin and Catherine (Wolfram)
Hardesty are shown in this photo dated about 1898. At the time of this picture, the
Hardestys lived on Railroad St. across from the depot in Hamlet. A general store, which
Catherine ran, was adjacent to their home.
Prior to her marriage to Hamlin, Catherine had been a school teacher in Oregon Twp.
Stores in those days carried few "ready to use" products and much of the business was
in trade rather than cash. Farm families would bring in butter, eggs, produce and fruit in
exchange for flour to make bread, material to make clothes and other items they could
not grow or make themselves. Most of the cash business came from railroad workers.
Hamlin tended to the business of their 160 acre farm just north-west of town on CR 500
E. where they raised livestock, bought and sold hay and other crops. The very well
maintained Hardesty Farm has been recognized by the State of Indiana as a Hoosier
Homestead Farm for being in the same family for more than a century.
From left to right: Hamlin holding daughter Catherine, Catherine (Wolfram), Raymond,
Ralph McCormick (nephew) and Edna Hardesty. Mrs. Hardesty's younger sister, Anna
(Wolfram) Jack is looking out the window.
Lotter Family
A photo taken about 1892 shows the children of Peter and Catherine Lotter. Back row
from left to right: Lawrence and Alice; middle row: Barbara, George, Wilhelmina,
Andrew and John; front row: Conrad, Catherine (mother) and Cora.
Peter and Catherine had immigrated to America from Germany in 1865. First they
moved to Mercer Co., OH and then to Adams Co., IN, where Peter died leaving
Catherine with a large family to raise alone.
Catherine soon decided to move her family to Starke County and established a home in
the town of Hamlet.
Later, Cora married Fred Mickow, a well known Davis Twp farmer. Wilhelmina married
John Ferch, a retired farmer and Hamlet businessman. George became a blacksmith.
Lawrence and Conrad operated the Ferch Farm. Barbara ran the household and looked
after her mother.
Chapter 5 – Hamlet
Bruce Drug Store
Three bare foot boys are sitting on the steps of M.E. Bruce's Hamlet Drug Store in the
1930's. They may be counting their change as they contemplate the sign that says
"Stop, Refresh Yourself, Hamlet Pharmacy, Sodas & Tasty Ice Cream".
Other signs advertise Coca-Cola, Colgate, Ex-Lax and Developing & Printing.
The store was located on the east side of Starke Street between Railroad and Davis
Streets. It was originally built by the Bonars and other owners included Jerry Brickles, C.
Rager and Otto Horning.
The Yellowstone Trail, America's first coast to coast highway, ran in front of the store
through downtown Hamlet.
Hamlet Baseball Team
A photo of Hamlet's 1920 baseball team - right after World War I ended in 1918 on up
through the 1930's, just about every local community had a baseball team.
These teams were generally sponsored by local merchants. They went by such names
as the Hamlet Cubs, Ober Batsmen, Bass Lake White Sox, Knox Red Sox, Winona
Sluggers and Bass Station Bees. Ora, Eagle Creek, San Pierre and Grovertown had
teams, as well.
In 1935, they organized themselves as the Starke County Baseball League and
competed on a district and state levels.
The only person we have identified in this picture is Paul Luken, who is 2nd from the left
in the front row. If anyone has any information about the other players, they are
encouraged to call me at 772-5936.
Hamlet Centennial
A photo taken during Hamlet's Centennial in 1963 says Hamlet Bathing Beauties. Some
of the ladies were part of a local bowling team.
From left to right: Lillian Laxton, Thelma Gimple, Dorothy Singleton, Marj Schwenk, Tillie
Phillips, Marguerite Jones, Grace Leinbach (seated), Stephana Bigler (short sleeves),
Lois Orr and unknown.
The picture may have been taken in front of Dr. Leinbach’s house on Davis Street in
Hamlet.
Hamlet Garage
A photo loaned to the museum by Marilyn Burch shows Jorgenson's "Hamlet Garage"
sometime around 1928.
Shown are Walt Jorgenson, Frank Shei, an unknown Allen, Harley Hanselman, Vance
Brickles and Ed Jacobsen.
Hamlet High School
Hamlet High School was built in 1900 on the east side of South Main Street between
Madison and Terry Streets for $15,000. Additional classrooms were added in 1916 for
$8,000. In 1925, a gymnasium was also added for another $30,000. It is interesting to
note that Knox, North Judson and San Pierre schools also added gymnasiums about
the same time. A statewide trend toward providing high school athletics was underway.
Oregon Township was one of the first townships in Starke County to consolidate its
schools replacing seven one-room schools (Koontz, Oregon, Fletcher/Reid,
Gunzenhouser/Uncapher, Holderman and Haley/Fuller/Harness) with this new school in
1900.
Hamlet's previous school, built just a few years earlier in 1894 at the north-west corner
of Starke and Pearl Streets, then became Hamlet's Town Hall. In 1926, that building
was replaced by the town water works. A new separate, Hamlet elementary school
building was built in 1953.
Hamlet High School
A photo dated 1942 shows Hamlet High School's senior class.
Front row, from left to right: Jean Jernas, Evelyn Coup, Edward Hendricks and Elmer
Jolly. Middle row: Leon Williams, Beulah Christoph, Mildred Bricker and Irwin Doty
(Principal). Back row: Leonard Johnson, Marvin Williams, Don Hardesty, James Drake
and Elton Glant. Not pictured were Kathleen Denaut and Elizabeth Morgan.
The photo was taken at the former high school on South Main Street.
Hamlet High School Boys Basketball Team
70 years ago, Starke County Champs – the 1934 Hamlet Boys Basketball Team;
standing left to right: Thurman Mickow, Charles Lucas, Principal Metzler, Charles Shei,
Coach Gwin, Horace Childs and John Miller; seated: Alton Gearhart, Harley Hathaway,
Lloyd Lucas, Leroy Schwenk and Willard Brockman. Bob ? holding Trophy.
Hamlet High School Girl’s Basketball Team
Hamlet High School's girls basketball team for 1925 - 1926 is shown in this photo. At
that time, the high school and gym were located on South Main Street in Hamlet. The
school had been built in 1900 and the gym just added in 1925.
The names of the coach and players are not known, but this may have been Hamlet's
first girls basketball team.
Hamlet Implement & Hardware
This photo of Hamlet Implement & Hardware was taken around 1918. The building is
still there and is located just west of Waymire’s Corner Tap on the south side of Davis
St. in downtown Hamlet.
Part of the Majestic Theatre can be seen to the left and the Hamlet State Bank to the
right. Charles Shei was the owner and operator of Hamlet Implement and is sitting on
the left tractor. He was a Deering dealer for IHC (International Harvester) farm tractors.
The IHC Titan 10-20 tractors shown were very popular with local Starke County
farmers. They had 2 cylinder engines that could run on low cost kerosene and were
rated at 20 horsepower. Its chain drive had 2 forward speeds. The large tank in front
was a water tank for cooling. They were painted gray with red wheels. Air cleaners and
fenders were optional. Base price was about $900.
Hamlet Lumber & Coal Company
This photo of Hamlet Lumber & Coal Co. was taken in 1928.
Local resident, Jim Hardesty, tells us Hershel and later Irwin Strader operated the yard
for many years, and that it was located at the far east end of Davis Street.
An advertisement from the period lists their phone number as 10.
This view is looking south, where the top of the former grain elevator along the NYC RR
tracks can be seen in the background.
Hamlet Post Office
A photo taken in the 1920's shows the Hamlet Post Office, located, at that time, on the
south side of Davis Street.
The right half of the building was occupied by Patrick's Shoe Shop. We are looking
toward the intersection at Hamlet Street. The brick building to the right was Frank
Black's Funeral Home. The Ferch Hotel, now home to Rannells Funeral Home, is just
out of sight to the right.
Hamlet Teachers
Hamlet High School's teachers are shown in this 1945 photo. The teachers are standing
beside the Hamlet School, which was built in 1901. It was located on the east side of
South Main Street between Madison and Terry Streets.
From left to right, back row: Frank Young, unknown, Marion Glant; middle row: Florence
Peregrine, Mildred Glant, unknown, unknown; Goldia Siedentop, Gertrude Braman,
Miss Honold.
One of the unknown teachers may be a Mrs. Reaick.
Harvey Motors
A photo taken in the 1950s shows L. Harvey beside his tow truck. Harvey owned a truck
towing service and used car lot on old US 30 in Hamlet up through the 1960s. Another
advertisement said he specialized in used Cadillacs.
Jolly Creamery
James and Elizabeth Jolly moved to the Hamlet area from Ohio in the 1850's. This was
before the town of Hamlet was built. They may have arrived on the Pittsburgh, Fort
Wayne and Chicago RR built across Indiana and Ohio in 1856. Their neighbor was
John Hamlet, who Hamlet was named after in 1863.
The Jolly's were originally farmers, but their sons soon engaged in additional business
interests in the rapidly growing town of Hamlet. Hotel Jolly was built in 1895 at Main and
Davis Streets. J. E. had a barbershop and was postmaster. The family also had a cream
station shown in this photo taken around 1905. It was thought to be located near the 3-I
RR tracks southeast of town. Local farmers would bring their cream to town on wagons
and sell it to the Jolly's.
The Jolly's used some of the cream they bought to make ice cream, which they sold in
their hotel. This was before refrigeration, so ice cream would have been consumed
shortly after making it. Most of the cream was made into butter. Extra cream would have
been packed in ice and shipped on to a larger creamery in Chicago or South Bend on
the railroad.
Early farmers would separate the cream from their cow's milk by letting the milk set in
pans in a cool place. The cream would rise to the top. The cream would then be
skimmed off, stored in barrels or cans and sold at a cream station. By the time of this
photo, farmers were using a new Swedish invention called the Laval Cream Separator
instead of pans.
Laramore’s Garage
R.L. Laramore of Hamlet stands beside his 1932 or 1933 Nash 2-door sedan. A sign
says "Authorized Nash Service". Other signs advertise Goodyear and United States
Tires. The Nash was produced from 1917 to 1957. During WWI, Nash became the
largest producer of trucks in America. Nash developed many new concepts and
introduced the first air conditioned car in 1938.
R.L. (Ralph) opened his garage on the north-west corner of Starke and Davis Streets in
Hamlet in 1922. This put him right on America's first transcontinental highway, the
Yellowstone Trail, which passed through downtown Hamlet. He said he often pumped
his gas tanks dry on weekends, as Americans took to the roads in the 1920's.
Mr. Laramore owned and operated his garage in Hamlet up through the 1960's, selling
the Plymouth and Desoto lines. The building is still there today.
Luken Family
The August and Louisa Luken Family moved to Hamlet around 1904. August Luken
owned a saloon at the southeast corner of Davis and Starke Streets. Their home,
shown in this photo, was just to the south of the saloon and is still there. From left to
right: August, Nettie, Fred (standing), Louisa, Paul (sitting), unknown and Anna, who
later Anna married Raymond Hardesty.
August had moved to America with his parents, Johann and Catherine, from Oldenburg,
Germany when he was two years old. The family settled on a farm in Railroad Twp.
When he was old enough, August moved to Chicago, where he was a conductor on a
horse-drawn streetcar. Later he moved back to English Lake and opened a saloon. This
was followed by a saloon in Knox and then Hamlet until "Prohibition" became the law of
the land in 1920.
Next in our series of historic railroad photos is the Penn RR depot in Hamlet looking
toward the west around 1910. This depot was located on the south side of the tracks
about 1 ½ blocks west of Starke St.
This railroad was originally built as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad in
1856. The railroad established “Starke Station” in 1859 but changed the name to
Hamlet in 1863 after John Hamlet, the man who surveyed the railroad right of way.
Sidings were spaced along the tracks about every 2 miles across north Starke County
allowing farmers to ship livestock to Chicago and hay to Pittsburgh. The siding near the
overhead on present day US 35 was even called “Hay Siding”. Harvesting wild hay in
early Starke County was a major business. It was very coarse and was used mainly as
packing for glassware manufactured in Pittsburgh.
Starkey, Jerry
Jerry Starkey was a security officer at Kingsbury Ordinance Plant (KOP) during World
War II.
Soap Box Derby
A photo from the early 1950's shows a soap box derby that was held in Hamlet, Indiana.
From left to right: Unknown, Donald Cooley, Tommy Blad, Karen Neville, Ray Scwenk
and Jerry Wistler. Harold Cooley is kneeling in the far left rear. Earl Wistler is kneeling
on the front right.
Soap Box Derbies became popular after a national contest was held in 1934. They are
still held in many communities with finalists going on to the All-American Soap Box
Derby in Akron, Ohio. As many as half the contestants are girls in what started out as
an all boys event.
Another photo shows this derby was held on Starke Street next to the Catholic Church.
The driver's T-Shirts have "Hamlet" written on them. Do you know any of the drivers or
which men's group sponsored the event? We would appreciate any additional
information about this picture. You may contact the Starke County Historical Society at
772-5393 or Marvin Allen at 772-5936.
Starke & Davis Streets
A photo dated 1920 shows the intersection of Starke and Davis Streets in downtown
Hamlet. On the left is James Short's Poultry, Eggs and Cream business. A few milk
cans are stacked out front. Farther down on the left, a Ford Model T is parked in front of
August Luken's Saloon.
On the immediate right is R. L. Laramore's Garage. He was a dealer for Dodge and
Nash automobiles. A pair of glass topped gravity feed gasoline pumps are near the
curb. Signs advertise Linco Gasoline, Goodyear, Goodrich and United States Tires. A
Dodge sedan appears to be parked there.
In the center of the photo, the Yellowstone Hotel and Restaurant can be seen. It is
advertising steam heat and home cooked meals. Today this building is home to
Waymire's Corner Tap, which also serves great home cooked meals. This intersection
was right on the Yellowstone Trail, America's first coast to coast highway. So many
travelers stopped on some weekends that Mr. Laramore would run out of gasoline.
Farther down the street on the right is the Holy Cross Catholic Church. It was built in
1927. The first Catholic Church was a frame building, which had been built in 1891on
the next lot south.
Starke & Davis Streets
A scene in downtown Hamlet looking south-west from the corner of Starke and Davis
Streets around 1917. Starke Street was part of the Yellowstone Trail, America's first
coast to coast road.
The Hamlet Cafe & Hotel on the corner is now home to Waymire's Corner Tap. To the
right is the Majestic Theater, now an empty lot. Next is Hamlet Hardware & Farm
Implements and then the Hamlet State Bank.
A Studebaker and two Ford Model T's can be seen. In 1917, there were only 650 autos
registered in the entire county. Electricity had finally come to Hamlet the previous year.
The Town Constable is standing in the center of the group, which includes several WWI
soldiers. The occasion may have been in honor of their departure for the war.
Thomas, Lyman
A photo taken around 1920 shows Lyman Thomas of Hamlet with his grand-daughter
Edna Hacker riding in a "goat cart".
In those days it was popular to use a well behaved goat to pull one of these little carts
around the farm and sometimes even in town.
Chapter 6 – Jackson Township
Camp Kankakee
Camp Kankakee was built in 1933 on the north side of SR 8 just across the Kankakee
River from Starke County. It was a federal works project for the purpose of housing
homeless men and boys during the Great Depression. As many as 500 men lived there
in the buildings that can be seen behind the entrance. They tended 23 acres of gardens,
where they grew much of their own food.
The men and boys were sent from 38 different states. The men worked 130 hours per
month at WPA wages less $19 per month for room and board. Recreation equipment
was provided, and their baseball team competed with other local community teams in
Starke County, such as the Bass Lake White Sox and the Hamlet Cubs. Two movies
were also shown each week. Each person was provided with a new suit of clothes. The
project was considered quite a success and provided many men with a sense of pride
and self worth during desperate times.
The camp was closed in late 1939 and is today a scenic area maintained by the Indiana
DNR.
Dog Notice
Frederick Jordan owned considerable farm land in Jackson Township and was the
Township Trustee in the 1890's. This is a handbill Fred circulated in Jackson Twp 115
years ago reminding all dog owners that they must register their dogs with him. Jordan
School, a one-room school still standing in Jackson Twp, was named after him.
Hewlett’s General Store
Clayton and Ona Hewlett's General Store in downtown Toto was located at the
northwest corner of Toto and Range Roads.
The sign to the right of the window says Fresh Bread.
A pair of unknown men are working on a 1925 Ford Model T pickup truck. That was the
very first year Ford sold a factory manufactured pickup. It sold for $281 plus shipping
and was available only in black.
Our thanks to Bev Wallace for bringing this interesting photo in from Ralph Hewlett's
collection.
Johnson Family
Charles Johnson and his six sons are standing beside their new 1917 Studebaker
Touring Car. These popular six cylinder autos were offered in three models; the "Big
Six" was the deluxe series and had a 60 horsepower engine, the "special six" came with
a 50 hp engine and the "light six" with a 40 hp engine. All were similar in overall
appearance. Touring autos were similar to today's convertibles and had a canvas folddown top. However, they did not have glass windows and instead had canvas curtains.
The auto in this picture would have been made in Detroit. It was 1920 before
Studebaker moved its auto plant to South Bend, after selling the wagon works. The
Johnsons kept this auto until 1927, when they bought a sedan.
Charles and Marthina Johnson's 200 acre farm was in Jackson Township at the
intersection of 250 S. and 250 W. Mr. Johnson had been born in Sweden but came to
America in 1891. He met and married Marthina Johnson, who was also born in Sweden,
in Chicago in 1900. There he worked as a teamster. They moved to Starke County in
1910 after saving enough money to buy the farm.
From left to right: George (became an auctioneer & farmer), Albin (a farmer), Elmer (a
mechanic & John Deere Dealer), Axel (a farmer), Charles, Walter (a carpenter &
lumberyard owner) and Clarence (a carpenter & farmer). We would suspect this picture
was taken on Sunday after attending services at the Lutheran Church, where they were
members.
Jordan School
This photo of students at the Jordan School in Jackson Township was taken in 1922.
The Jordan School was built in 1905 at the northwest corner of 100 W. and 350 S.
It was closed as a school in 1945. The former one-room school is still in use today as a
community building and is the only wood frame one-room school still standing in the
county.
The teacher taught all eight grades in just one room. Usually the eighth graders helped
instruct the younger children.
From left to right, back row: Unknown, Mildred Gappa, Dortha Burger, Meta Blunck,
Helen Blunck, Herretta Daly (Teacher), Clara Blunck; middle row: Mae Shepherd, Helen
Sharpinski, Lillie Heubner, Gertrude Eley, Sylvia Gappa, Alice Sharpinski, Selma
Heubner, Christena Gappa and Blanche Eley; front row: Glen Gappa, Joseph
Shepherd, unknown, Bill Sharpinski, unknown, unknown, and Edward Berg.
Jordan School Ball Team
The Jordan School was located at the north-west corner of CR 100W and CR 350S in
Jackson Township. It is one of a handful of century old one-room schools still standing
in Starke County. It was built in 1897 at a cost of $400. This former school is still used
as a community building.
This photo shows the boys softball team in 1934. From left to right: Richard Ziolkowski,
Shedric Fletcher, Stanley Beniwitz, Kenneth Pulver, Charles Crecelius, August Gappa,
Merle Henriles, Homer Swanson and Edward Jordan.
Swanson Farm
A Rumely-Watts corn sheller is shown shelling corn from a crib during the winter and
dumping it into a Chevrolet truck bed on Charlie Swanson's farm near Brems sometime
in the 1920's. Even then farmers stored corn after harvesting, waiting on it to dry and
the best possible price.
These corn shellers were sold by the Advance-Rumely Thresher Company of LaPorte,
Indiana. The shellers were of the cylinder type and capable of far more capacity than
competing spring types. While the frame and moving mechanisms were made of metal,
the main box was made of wood. The corn cobs and husks went one way while the
clean, shelled corn was elevated to the waiting truck bed. The sheller was powered by a
belt attached to a tractor out of sight to the left.
Charlie may have been using a steam powered tractor or engine to power the sheller.
He was known for using the latest methods to improve his farm's production. He was
said to be the first farmer in Starke County to use crawler type tractors on his wet
Jackson & Davis Township farm lands.
Swanson Homestead
The Swanson homestead was located about 3/4 mile west of Brems on CR 250N. It
was located on an elevated area called Grape Island by early settlers, because it rose
above the surrounding swampy land.
An 1898 map shows the west side of Brems was called Jackson Station, and the east
side was called Nickel Plate. Before that time, Brems was known as Jackson Island.
The first school in the area was called Grape Island School and was located west of
Brems. Later it was replaced by the Jackson Island School at Brems.
Swan Oliver Swanson had been born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1856. At the age of two,
he moved with his family to Starke County. The farm homestead shown in this photo
was built in 1876. Swan and his son, Charles, accumulated 1,000 acres of top farm land
in Jackson Twp. The farm was called the Nickel Plate Stock Farm. They raised sheep,
swine and cattle, along with wheat, corn and oats. Mr. Swanson used the latest
agricultural methods. He was able to average 50 bushels of corn to the acre in 1914,
which was a very good result prior to the use of mechanical farm tractors.
Toto
This photo of "downtown" Toto was taken in 1915. The photographer was probably
standing behind what is now Waldrop's Store and looking to the northeast toward Knox.
The store to the left was Clayton Hewlett's General Store. It faced Toto Road. The store
in the center is George Phillipi's General Store, and it faced Range Road.
The NYC depot can be seen on the right. It has two signs. One says Toto; the other
says Rye. Some time shortly after the turn of the last century, the railroad decided to
call this stop Rye. It had been known as Toto since the mid-1850's, when a post office
had been opened there. Since the depot was on the north side of the tracks, this led
some to say Rye was north of the tracks and Toto south of the tracks. In any case, only
Toto shows up on all maps after 1920. The small shed in the center of the photo is a
mystery. It might be an ice or fuel storage shed.
The maps at this time show Toto Road was an improved gravel road, while Range Road
was unimproved. Thanks to Bev Wallace for bringing this photo in from Ray Hewlett's
collection.
Toto School
The Toto School 1911 - Teacher Cecil Jackson. The Toto one-room school was built in
1897 at a cost of $400. Some of the specifications to the builder were: "All lath shall be
of good quality that will not show stain from knots through plastering. The wainscott
under blackboard and windows shall be 26" high. There shall be an open belfry on the
entrance six feet square - with neat roof and flag pole. The contractor shall build bucket
shelves and strips with four dozen coat hooks in entrance." Back then children carried
their lunch to school in buckets or pails and needed a place to store them.
Some of the children in this 1910 photo were probably from the nearby Bascom, Collins,
Dunkleberger, Short and Weninger families.
Some of the teachers who taught at Toto through the years, besides Grover Short,
were: Mildred Collins, Frank Heilman, Homer Rogers, Maude Brown (later Mrs. Henry
Schricker), Rex White, Ada Geddes and Otta Weidner.
The Toto School was closed in the early 1920's. It was located on the west side of
Range Road a block or so north of Toto Road.
Toto Sunday School
A photo dated 1915 shows the Sunday School class at the Free Methodist Church in
Toto.
This church is thought to have been established in the 1890's. At times the congregation
used the Toto one-room school for their services.
Rev. John A. J. Tannehill was the pastor for many years and may be the gray haired
gentleman in the back of the photo. He was a circuit preacher who also attended to
congregations at Knox, Mishawaka and Crown Point.
Locally Mr. Tannehill may have been best known for his melon farm near Round Lake.
He shipped melons all across Indiana out of the railroad stop at Toto.
Tretiak’s General Store
Many readers may remember Tretiak’s General Store that was located in Toto at the
southeast corner of Range and Toto Roads. The store had the typical “Paul’s Kreamo
Bread” screen door and squeaky wood floors. The front porch had a bench where local
residents could discuss the day’s events, while sipping a cold bottle of pop.
Like most general stores of the era, they sold gasoline and filled your tank for you. In
this case, it was Standard Oil Red Crown (regular) or White Crown (premium) Gasoline.
This photo was probably taken in the 1950’s.
West School
Jackson Township's "West" School was located at the intersection of 250 S. and 250 W.
This was about 2 1/2 miles west of Toto.
An earlier school had been located in that same general vicinity since at least the
1870's. The school was officially known as District #1 School, because it was probably
the first school in Jackson Twp.
The building shown in this 1927 photo was built in 1897 for $400. Some of the
contractor's specifications were: The roof shall be of good sheeting and "Extra Star-AStar" white cedar shingles, laid 4 1/2 inches to the weather. All outside paints shall
consist of best grade white lead and good oil properly mixed and applied.
Some of the teachers at West School were: Fern Parks Vial, Margaret Gappa Johnson,
J.C. Rebstock, Irene Regnold, Della Short, Freeda Fox, Alta Bell, Daisy Rockwell, J.E.
Lucas, Laura Swabey, and Maude Brown Schricker. West School was discontinued
sometime after 1936.
Chapter 7 – Knox
Alan, Frank
The Boy Scouts of America introduced the Cub Scout program in 1930 as a
"controlled experiment" for boys aged 8 to 11. The idea was a huge success and
has over 2 million Cub Scouts enrolled in the program today.
The Historical Society would like to expand its Scout collection by adding more photos
and display items. This photo of Frank Alan was taken around 1950. His neckerchief
slide indicates he belongs to the Wolf Pack.
Barnum, John Henry
John Henry Barnum was the son of Josiah and Lucinda Barnum of Knox. Josiah had
moved to Knox in the late 1860's and married Lucinda Myers of Bass Lake in 1870.
Josiah was a Knox shoemaker. Lucinda listed her occupation as photographer on the
1900 census. The Starke County Museum does have a number of turn of the last
century photos with the studio name of Barnum.
Their son, J. Henry Barnum, shown in this photo listed his occupation as "professional
slight of hand" and "showman". He no doubt performed at many local town fairs and
may have performed on the stage in one of Knox's opera houses. This photo was most
likely taken by his mother, Lucinda. We would guess "Uncle J. Henry Barnum" was his
stage name and the children shown in the photo were not his nieces and nephews but
his audience.
Blue Star Mothers
Blue Star Mothers of World War II was founded January 22, 1942. This nation-wide
organization was founded to support sons in service and was patterned after an earlier
World War I organization. Their members were very active in the war effort as well as
civic and defense and war related activities. Their trademark was a red and white
banner with a blue star for each son in service. If a son died in the war, his blue star
was replaced with a gold star.
This photo shows officers of the local Knox organization. From left to right: Elsie Jones,
Hazel Hall, Sara Barr and Neva Miller.
Brick Water Tower
A town water system had been discussed for some time, but a disastrous fire that wiped
out almost an entire block of downtown Knox in June of 1909 prompted officials to act
quickly. By October of the same year, Knox had its first water works plant at a cost of
nearly $20,000.
It was located where Knox City Hall is now located. A 70 foot high brick tower had been
built, on top of which a 40 foot high water tank was placed with a capacity of 40,000
gallons. A 20 horsepower gasoline engine powered a large water pump that drew water
from a series of 20 wells.
It provided water to Knox residents until 1953 when a new modern system with a
capacity of 250,000 gallons was built in the southeast part of the city.
The brick tower was demolished in April of 1954 by a firm from Oak Park, IL.
Neighborhood boys were paid a penny a brick to clean the mortar from the old bricks,
so they could be reused.
Brown Family
A family photo taken sometime around 1908 shows Dr. Steven and Emma (Messerly)
Brown and their six daughters. From left to right, back row: Artha, Bess and Ruth.
Middle row: Grandson Howard Davis, Steven, Emma and Grace. Front row: Maude and
Florence. Maude married future Indiana Governor Henry F. Schricker in 1914, after she
homesteaded alone in North Dakota, while teaching school.
The doctor was a Civil War Veteran from Pulaski County. Sometime in the late 1800's
he stopped a lady's runaway horse and buggy in Francesville, where they lived.
Although, he succeeded in stopping the horse, it kicked him in the leg, smashing the
bone into splinters. While others thought the leg should be amputated, he talked his wife
through setting the bone. They saved the leg, but he limped the rest of his life.
In 1900, at Emma's insistence, they bought a retiring doctor's practice in Knox and
moved to a home on Heaton Street, so that their last two daughters, Florence and
Maude could attend high school. The doctor's office was above Koffel's Drug Store on
Main St., which later became Evert's Drug Store. In 1910, the Browns purchased 40
acres of farm land near Bass Lake. There they would picnic in the woods, while
watching such farm activities as threshing. Later the Browns moved in with their
daughter and son-in-law, Maude and Henry Schricker. After retiring, the doctor would
sometimes see former patients in the Schricker home.
Buggy Ride
In a photo taken around 1902, four young Knox residents are out for a ride in a horse
drawn buggy. From left to right: Babe, Silva (Reiss) Jonas, Robert Renview Green,
Helen (Long) Whitson and Stella (Klopot) Bonner.
Silva, who later composed a number of local theatrical plays, married Al Jonas, who
was active in local banking. Renview was also active in local Knox business. Helen was
the daughter of John Long of Long Thompson Lumber. Stella operated Klopot Studios
for many years and later became our county's historian. It is not known if Babe achieved
any fame beyond this photo.
Central Hotel
The Central Hotel was located in downtown Knox at the southwest corner of Lake and
Main Streets, where BESTCO Storage is opening a new facility. This photo was taken
around 1905.
Several businesses can be seen in the building. Rannels and Sons Restaurant is
located on the left side of the 1st floor. The signboard on the sidewalk says “Get in the
Habit of Eating at Rannels & Sons Restaurant”, “Oysters Served in Bay Style”. The right
side of the 1st floor is occupied by First National Bank, which had just been organized in
1901. Above a sign reads “Season‟s Scenic Sensation – A Little Outcast”. Apparently a
nickelodeon parlor was located upstairs, along with hotel rooms.
In the gap between the Central Hotel and Windisch‟s Grocery Store to the left can be
seen a little store with a sign that reads “Peanuts, Popcorn, Crackerjacks, Cigars and
Soft Drinks”.
The Central Hotel burned down in June of 1909, during one of town‟s most disastrous
fires. The lot then stood empty for several years, but in the 1920‟s became home to Cox
Bros. Linco Gas Station, as well as a hot dog stand. In the late 1930‟s, a new building
housed Grime‟s Variety Store and later, Schultz Bros. Dime Store.
Champion Motor Company
A photo dated 1941 shows Carl Coffin's Champion Motor Company in Knox. It was
located at the northeast corner of Pearl & Washington Streets, where Fingerhut Bakery
is now located.
Mr. Coffin specialized in selling new Studebakers. Later Glenn Kay, Knox's first mayor,
took over this dealership. He continued to sell Studebakers in the 1950's before
switching over to Dodge and Plymouth sales.
Che Mah
Che Mah was born on the island of Choo-Sang, China in 1838. Sometime later, he was
discovered by a scout for Barnum & Bailey Circus. He toured the world for many years,
appearing before all the crowned heads of Europe. He also traveled with Buffalo Bill's
Wild West Show for a time. Che Mah was billed as the shortest man in the world at 28
inches tall and weighing 40 pounds. He is shown with Pearley in this photo, who was
said to be 34 inches tall.
While staying at a hotel in Chicago in the 1890's, he met H.E. Stone, a Knox realtor. Mr.
Stone put him in touch with Samuel Childs of Washington Twp, who sold him a farm
near Eagle Lake. Che Mah soon realized harnessing horses and farm work was too
difficult for such a short person. He then returned to work this time at Kohl and
Middleton's Museum in Chicago. After selling his farm at Eagle Lake, he bought more
property in Knox and retired a second time in 1905.
Che Mah had learned the ways of American business and had accumulated a degree of
wealth, owning several properties and homes in Knox. He would host parties at his
house on east Washington Street, which he decorated with items from Chinatown in
Chicago. Later he lived at another of his houses at Lake and Pearl Streets. There he
died in 1926, having lived the last 35 years of his life as one of Knox's more famous
persons.
Christian Church
A photo that appears to have been taken in the 1940's shows the Christian Church at
Pearl and Delaware Streets in Knox.
It was built in 1904-1905 when Rev. D. W. Wakeman was the minister. This concrete
block building replaced an earlier wood frame church building at the same location. The
photo may have been taken shortly after the original concrete blocks were painted
white.
City Steam Laundry
A photo shows the former City Steam Laundry that was located on North Pearl Street in
Knox. It was built in 1914 just south of the old county jail. Frank and Hazel Hall bought it
in the 1920's and ran it for many years. They also did dry cleaning on site, employing
several workers.
Civil War Veterans
A photo dated about 1915 shows Civil War (1861 - 1865) Veterans living in Starke
County. The only veteran identified is John Giles, who is holding the flag. He is wearing
a number of GAR medals commemorating his service. Readers are encouraged to call
Marvin Allen at 772-5936 with additional names.
Nearly all Union Civil War Veterans belonged to an organization formed after the war
known as the Grand Army of the Republic. There were three GAR Posts here in Starke
County: the William Landon Post 290 in Knox (1884 - 1936); the Daniel Lake Post 571
in North Judson (1890 - 1914); and the John W. McCune Post 587 in San Pierre (1891 1903).
In 1868, the GAR issued an order for all Posts to set aside May 30th for remembering
the sacrifices of fallen comrades, thereby beginning the celebration of Memorial Day.
The GAR became very powerful politically and was especially active in pension
legislation and soldier homes for disabled veterans.
Civil War Veterans
Veteran's Day is November 11th and dates back to 1919, when President Wilson
proclaimed that November 11th, Armistice Day, would be observed as a day of
remembrance for those who gave their lives during The Great War (WWI).
Earlier in 1905, members of the Knox Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) posed in front
of Reiss' Clothing Store in downtown Knox, now Main Street Computers, for a photo on
Memorial Day. These gentlemen were veterans of the Civil War: William Windisch, John
Kratli, John Giles, John Collins, Solomon Speelman, Robert Palmer, John Barnum,
Hiram Peeler, Craft Carr, George Favorite, Frank Fletcher, Jesse Fletcher and Utter
Stephenson.
Memorial Day had been established in 1868 after the Civil War and was originally
known as Decoration Day. You may notice that a special display was set up in the store
window honoring Civil War veterans. Silva (Reiss) Jonas, about 10 years of age, is
standing in the window with a flag draped over her shoulder.
Some years later Silva published a book titled "Starke County Indiana in the World War"
about our county's sacrifices during World War I.
Class Play
"How Boots Befooled The King" was a play put on by Knox 5th and 6th graders May 4,
1936.
Boots, the youngest son of a humble family, has two virtues, unwillingness to expend
any unnecessary effort and a sarcastic wit. These traits frustrate the king and his
ministers throughout this popular fairy tale.
From left to right, back row: Iva Bowie (teacher), Bonnie Mae Biggs, Helen Marie
Hobart, Michael Bonner, Thomas Nichols, Georgia Linedecker, George Schricker,
Juanita Cannon and Bruce Wathen; middle row: Frederick Giles, Arthur C. Schultz,
Harry Parker, Jack McCruthers, Mary Lou Parrott and Donald Abraham; front row:
Esther Downs, Doris Gurrado, Evelyn Byer, Merillat Miller, Wilma Golding, Junior
Parker, Thelma Binkley, Bill H. Thurman and Tommy Cutshall. Corrections are always
welcome.
Company H
A photo from 1915 shows Knox's Company H of the Indiana National Guard. Captain
Henry F. Schricker is standing front center.
The Indiana National Guard traces its unbroken history and lineage back to 1801 and is
older than the state itself. The National Guard has two roles. Within the state, the
governor is commander in chief of the Guard and can mobilize the Guard for the
protection and well being of Indiana citizens. In time of national crisis, the Guard can be
called into active federal service by the United States Government.
The first time the Indiana National Guard was called to federal duty was in the Mexican
War in the 1840s.
Knox's Company H was first mobilized for federal duty during Mexican Border War in
1915 and then in 1917 for World War I.
Company H - Special
A photo taken September 21, 1917 at the Knox Nickel Plate deport, shows the first of
six farewell demonstrations held for young Starke County men headed off for military
training during WWI.
A huge banquet had been held the evening before in Reiss' Opera House for the men
as honored guests. Local school bands provided several patriotic musical selections. A
number of speeches were given, with future Governor Henry Schricker giving the
opening address.
The train was known as the "Company H - Special".
The Nickel Plate Cafe is visible directly west of the depot, The building to the right side
of the picture was a livery and horse stable. Hotel Fitz can be seen in the far back on
Main Street.
Cook Equipment Company
A photo taken in 1958 shows the Cook Mercury dealership on South Heaton Street in
Knox. Cook was also a New Idea farm equipment dealer and sold used farm machinery
of all types.
Previous to this location, Charles and his father Leroy Cook had a Farmall dealership
downtown a block west of the courthouse on Mound Street.
A pair of new Edsel's can be seen in the center of this photo. The Edsel was introduced
by Ford Motor Co. in 1957 and quickly discontinued in 1959. The Edsel is often referred
to as the wrong car at the wrong time. America was entering a recession and people
were looking for smaller less costly cars that got better gas mileage. The Edsel line was
a huge loss for the company. But today an Edsel in well maintained condition might go
for $100,000 or more.
This was also the year that four headlights became standard on most cars and trucks.
Today this building is home to Ed's Auto Parts.
County Home
This portion of a county map from 1911 shows the location of Starke County's former
"County Home". In 1875 Starke County bought a 160 acre farm from John Megill for
$5,000 and established a county farm on the land now bounded by Culver Road on the
north side and US 35 on the east side.
After the Civil War, most communities found it necessary to have a place where war
widows, orphans, disabled veterans and others without families could live. Through the
years these facilities went by such names such as the poor farm, poor house, pauper's
asylum, infirmary and county home. In the early days, they were mostly self-sufficient,
raising cattle, hogs and chickens, as well as gardens. Originally Starke County's facility
looked like a typical farm with a number of farm buildings and a two story farmhouse.
Residents who passed away were sometimes buried at the south edge of the farm.
Eventually, this burial ground was expanded and in 1900 became the Oak Park
Cemetery as shown on this map.
In 1928 a new one-story block building was built facing Culver Road that most local
residents will remember. In 1944 Joe Cox and Herb Green used a large portion of the
original 160 acre county farm to establish an airport. The airport was divided up and
sold in 1971 to make way for the new Knox High School and a shopping area. The 1928
county home building continued to be used until 1990 when it was demolished to make
way for the Starke County Public Library.
Cox Texaco Station
A photo from the 1940's shows Cox Brothers' Texaco service station in Knox. It was
located on the east side of Heaton Street just south of the railroad tracks. A sign near
the street says "Registered Restroom". Other signs advertise Goodyear tires and AAA.
An older gravity feed glass container gas pump is flanked by more modern pumps.
Those pumps would have offered Texaco Fire Chief and Sky Chief Gasolines.
Joe and Owen, sons of Joseph & Rose Cox, opened this Texaco station sometime
before 1935. This drive-thru style service station was very popular in the 1930's and
40's. Back then stopping for a fill-up meant getting your windows cleaned, your oil &
water levels checked, as well as the air in your tires checked. Their adjacent garage
would have provided oil changes with Havoline Motor Oil and minor carburetor, brake
and tire repairs.
Today, this location is home to Eby Tire & Auto, who still sell Goodyear tires 70 years
later. An earlier Cox service station had been located right in downtown Knox at the
southwest corner of Main & Lake Streets in the1920's.
Desardee Chapter - Daughters of the American Revolution
This undated photo shows several members of the local Desardee Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) participating in a parade.
The chapter was organized in Knox in 1938 at the home of Mrs. W.C. Pentecost. It was
named after Peter Desardee, an early trader of French and Indian descent, who
frequented this area when it was still inhabited by the Pottawatomie Indians.
Membership in the DAR is limited to women who can prove lineal descent from a patriot
of the Revolutionary War. One of the primary goals of the organization is to foster
patriotism and love of country.
While the ladies in the photo are not identified, charter members were Edith Beers,
Carrie Berg, Stella Bonner, Eloise Britingham, Meda Fletcher, Margaret Hilbish, Jennie
Lundin, Grace White, Nellie Pentecost, Irma Smith, Frances Kaiser, Hazel Steele, Alice
Yeakel, Mary Bonesteel, Marie Kessler, Florence Wooley, Marjory Black and Bennie
Carter.
Drews' Sanitary Dairy
Drews' Sanitary Dairy was originally located at 406 S. Main St. in Knox. This photo
dated 1940 shows Ted Drews loading their Chevy delivery truck with glass bottles of
milk. In those days many homeowners had milk delivered right to their front door. Some
kept a small insulated metal box on their front porch where the milk man would leave
fresh milk and pick up their empty glass bottles.
Ted's parents William and Clara Drews had moved to Knox from Chicago and opened
the dairy in 1927. William Drews was active in local government and served on the
Knox Town Board for twelve years. This was before Knox had a mayor. William was
also involved in establishing Wythogan Park in the mid-1930's.
Thanks to Shirley (Drews) Amond for sharing this great photo.
Edgel’s Shoe Shop
Edward Edgel opened his shoe repair shop in Knox in 1907. Born in Ohio, he had
worked in Chicago as a shoemaker the first part of his adult life before moving to Knox.
His son Robert Sr. worked in the business with him and took over in the 1930's.
Grandson Robert has also run the business for many years making Edgel's Shoe
Repair likely to be the only three generation business in downtown Knox.
This photo was taken when Edward's shop was in the former Grand Hotel. It was
located at the north-east corner of Lake and Shield Streets. The Grand Hotel was one of
Knox's earliest hotels.
No longer in use as a hotel in 1907, its rooms were occupied by several businesses,
including a flour & feed store and a millinery. The sign above the door says "Square
Deal Shop".
Eichstaedt Chevrolet & Cadillac
Roy Eichstaedt operated a Chevrolet & Cadillac dealership at 110 N. Main Street in
Knox during the 1940's and 1950's. He also had branch locations in North Judson and
LaCrosse. In this photo believed to have been taken in the Home Hotel dining room,
Roy, seated at the far end of the table, appears to be having a meeting with his staff.
Dutch Golding is seated in front on he left side. Jesse Samuels is seated 3 rd from the
front also on the left side.
Ernie’s Restaurant – Inside
A photo taken about 1940 gives us a view of the inside of Ernie Small's original lunch
room on South Heaton Street in Knox. A young Skeeter Small is standing beside a
stool. Edna Gustafson is standing to the left behind the lunch counter. Ernie's wife
Zepha is standing to the right.
A sign above the window advertises Minit Steak Sandwiches for 15 cents, as well as
fresh churned buttermilk every day.
Notice the jukebox. No doubt it was loaded with hits by Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey,
Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and the Ink Spots.
Ernie Small opened his restaurant in 1938 and expanded it in 1973. It had been a
favorite dining place for more than 60 years, when it closed in 2000 to make way for the
new CVS store.
We wish to thank Skeeter Small for loaning us this historical photo.
Ernie’s Restaurant - Outside
A photo shows Ernie's Restaurant in Knox around 1940 just before World War II. Ernie
Small had opened what was to become one of Knox's most popular dining places in
1938. The view is looking toward the west from US 35 in Knox. Pearl Street, in the
background, had not yet been extended to Culver Road. A Phillips 66 service station
was just to the left out of sight at the corner.
The service station was demolished in 1973 to make way for an addition to what was
then called Ernie's Fireside Inn. After more than 60 years, the familiar location became
home to a new pharmacy in 2000.
F4F Wildcat at Knox High School
In the early 1950's, a Grumman F4F Wildcat was located at the south end of Knox High
School. This photo was taken before the gymnasium was built in 1955. Originally, the
Wildcat had been located on the courthouse lawn, where it had been dedicated as a
memorial to those who had served overseas during World War II.
Later at the high school, the plane was used by the Shop Department to teach
mechanical theory. The Wildcat was an aircraft carrier fighter plane and featured fold up
wings. On one occasion, pranksters cranked its wings upright and pulled the plane out
into Main Street. There they cranked its wings back down to make it appear a plane had
landed on the street to the surprise of early morning motorists.
Eventually, the plane was sold for salvage. Its 1,350 horsepower engine was last seen
in Israel Mishkovsky's salvage yard on West Lake Street. Today a Grumman Wildcat in
maintained condition might be worth as much as $1,500,000.
Fairy Theater
The Fairy Theater was located at 12 South Main in downtown Knox. Albert Metzger
owned and operated the theater until around 1940. We have been told he ran a tight
ship and did not tolerate pranksters.
This photo is dated 1925. Back then a date consisting of a movie for two, burgers and
cokes might cost a dollar. The left poster advertises "Pampered Youth" a silent movie
staring child actor Ben Alexander. Many years later Ben Alexander co-starred as Officer
Frank Smith in the TV show Dragnet with Jack Webb. The right poster advertises
Sailing Along another 1925 silent movie.
Silent movies were never really silent. A pianist or roll player piano provided background
music much like the soundtracks used in today's movies. Believe it or not, talking
movies were not promoted much at first. Movie studios and theaters had too much
invested in silent films. Today, this building is home to the beauty salon Mirror Images.
Farmer’s Co-op
A photo dating from the 1930's or 40's shows the Farmers Co-op of Knox. It was located
on the east side of Pearl Street just north of the RR tracks.
It was built around the turn of the last century as a feed mill. Farmers would have been
able to take their grain there to be ground into feed for their livestock.
Later it became an outlet for Purina products. Purina's checkerboard design dates back
to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The name Purina was a made up word implying
the pureness of their corn and oat mixture that went into Purina Feeds.
The Co-op also bought cream, poultry and eggs from local farmers, which was very
important to surviving the depression years. Signs also advertise shipping of livestock,
public weighing and other services local farmers would have required. It is said this was
Knox's last livery stable; a place where those coming to town by wagon or buggy could
leave their horses overnight. In the early 1960's, the building was purchased by
Wunder's Grocery Store and used as a warehouse.
Fitz Hotel
The Fitz Hotel was located at the corner of Main and Bender Streets in downtown Knox,
where Dollar General is now located. This photo was taken sometime around 1914. The
hotel had been built in 1895 by Joseph Fitz. It was a first-class hotel offering hot and
cold running water and baths.
When it originally opened, the sidewalks were still made of wooden planks and Main St.
was not yet paved. In 1906, an ad boasted the only $2 rooms in town. The nearby
N.Y.C. & S.L. Railroad Line insured the hotel was always filled to capacity.
In 1914, the building to the right, partly shown in this photo, was built. Its upper floor
contained additional hotel rooms. A hardware store operated on its first floor. The Knox
Post Office can be seen in the original part of the hotel, as well as Dr. Schwier‟s office to
the right. Many of the basements along Main St. contained additional shops in those
days. The basement under the Fitz housed Slidinger‟s Four Chair Barber Shop. Its ad
said baths were available. Later the hotel became the Traveler‟s Hotel, with the first
floor of the 1914 addition being used by Miller Jones Shoes.
Ford Dealer
A photo from 1922 shows M. F. French's Ford Dealership at the corner of Main and
Bender Streets in downtown Knox. Later in the 1930's, Sears Roebuck and Co.
relocated its store to the same building.
A sign advertises Fordson tractors for $395. The Fordson Model F farm tractor was
introduced in 1917. This photo can be dated to 1922, because that was the year Ford
dropped the price on their tractor to $395 in answer to fierce competition from
International Harvester. The 20 horsepower, 4 cylinder tractor was smaller and lighter
than other tractors. And the price, lower than production cost, especially appealed to
small farmers.
Another sign advertises Ford Touring cars for $348. At that price, many items such as
an electric starter, windshield wipers and a spare tire, were added later by the owner.
The definition of a "Touring Car" was a vehicle that had a canvas top that could be put
up or left down. Mr. French also sold Firestone tires, which can be seen in the front
window, and Red Crown "winter" gasoline. A steel-wheeled farm plow is visible inside
the south window.
Fox, William
A photo taken in 1932 shows William W. Fox seated at his desk in the Nickel Plate
Depot in Knox. William was the ticket agent for many years and would have seen
enlistees leave on the train for both World War I and II. He would have also seen the
busy summer days in the 1920's when tourists arrived from the cities to spend time at
Bass Lake. And no doubt, he had to deal with hobos riding the rails during the
depression in the 1930's.
William and Lillie Fox lived on South Main Street in Knox with their daughters, Freeda,
Evelyn and Margaret. Edwin Wilken of the Wilken & Musser Grocery Store in Knox
married Freeda and also lived with them.
The Nickel Plate Depot has been restored and is now located at the north entrance to
Knox. Some of the items in this photo have also been restored and are on display there.
Girl Scout Cabin
A photo taken perhaps in the 1940's shows the dedication of the Knox Girl Scout Cabin.
This cabin is thought to have been located in Wythogan Park, but we are not sure.
Golding’s Gas Station
The Yellow River Gas Station, also known as Golding's, stood for many years at the
north edge of Knox between the railroad tracks and the river. Elbridge "El" Golding had
purchased the property in 1921 and soon built the gas station shown in this1923 picture.
He and his son, Ernest, also had a cement block making business at the same location
using sand and gravel from the Yellow River. The lower level of the station was used as
a stable. Ironically, Mr. Golding never owned or drove an automobile.
El had moved to Starke County with his parents, John and Mary Ann (Seagraves)
Golding around 1861. He grew up on their farm in Center Township and spent most of
his life farming. He was 60 years old when he entered the gas station business.
In this picture, he is selling Standard Oil's Red Crown gasoline. The gas pumps were
hand operated, a chore sometimes delegated to his grandchildren. In later years,
Texaco gasoline was sold. Although El passed away in 1945, the station continued to
be operated by the family until 1974. The buildings were demolished in the 1990's to
make way for the future widening of US 35.
Good Shell Station
Vance Good owned and operated the Shell service station on Heaton Street in Knox for
more than 35 years. He took the station over in the late 1940's. It was located just south
of the railroad tracks on the west side of the street. Today this busy location is home to
Video Zone. This photo was taken at night in the late 1950's during the holiday season.
Vance really enjoyed decorating the station with wreaths and lights. A Christmas tree
can be seen in the front window below the sign advertising B. F. Goodrich tires. Vance
ran a classy station and was known to come to work sometimes wearing bow tie.
A service station had been located at this corner since the early 1930's. Even earlier this
location was home to Midland Oil and Coal Company. Besides selling lumber and coal,
Midland also had a concrete block factory on the premises. It had been built before
1909 under the name of Lewis Concrete Blocks. Many homes in Knox and elsewhere in
the county were built using their concrete blocks in the 1910's and 1920's.
Governor and Mrs. Henry F. Schricker
Former Governor Henry and Maude (Brown) Schricker celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary October 21, 1964 with family and friends in Knox.
It is said Henry first met Maude while he was walking the railroad tracks to work and she
was taking the family cow out to pasture. The Schrickers retired back to their home at
401 South Main St. after a career that included Indiana State Senator, Lieutenant
Governor and two terms as Governor.
Historians have credited much of Governor Schricker‟s political success to Maude
Schricker‟s public appeal. She radiated a kindness and friendliness that was said to
force the governor‟s bitterest enemies to speak only good things about her. She was
known as „Mom” Schricker throughout the state, possessing womanly qualities that
made her an invaluable asset to Governor Schricker throughout his long political career.
Green’s Orchestra
Around the turn of the last century, Knox drug store owner, Frank A. Green, organized
an orchestral group that played on the upper floor stage of the Reiss Department Store.
This building is located at 4 South Main St. and was most recently home to The Leader.
The orchestra members shown in the photo left to right are: Frank A. Green, 1st Violin;
H. A. North, 2nd Violin; John Bralun, 1st Clarinet; John Meyers, 2nd Clarinet; Moody
Baker, 1st Coronet; Duke Harter, Trombone; Slick Harrison, Bass Viola.
The upper floor of Gus Reiss‟ store was actually an opera house that hosted frequent
events, such as out of town entertainers, high school class plays and graduations.
Horner and Krueter Hardware Store
This historic photo of the Horner and Krueter Hardware Store was taken by Sigmund
Klopot in 1911. Today the building is part of Home Healthcare Services at 11 S. Main
St. in Knox. The lot to the left is still vacant from a fire in 1909 that burned down
everything in that block, except the Fitz Hotel. A crowd has assembled to watch a new
Laurel Kitchen Stove given away in a raffle. While the stove resembled an early wood
stove, it operated on an astonishing new form of energy, natural gas. Families no longer
had to carry in heavy wood and carry out dusty ashes, provided they could afford the
new appliance. Besides selling Laurel Stoves and Ranges made by the Art Stove
Company of Detroit, Michigan, the hardware store also sold Studebaker wagons and
buggies.
It is interesting to note that even though Studebaker started making automobiles in
1902, horse drawn wagons and buggies were still a major product in 1911. In fact, the
British ordered 3,000 horse drawn wagons, 20,000 harnesses and 60,000 saddles from
Studebaker at the start of WWI in 1914.
Horse Drawn School Bus
A school bus from yesteryear: a photo dated around 1912 shows a Center Township
school bus in front of Starke County's courthouse. Note the hitching rail in use at that
time at the courthouse.
While the school bus was owned by the school, generally, a local farmer or resident
took a contract to use his horse team to pull the bus around a particular school district.
Center Township School was a consolidated school and had eight of these buses. But
other one-room township schools usually would have had only one bus.
As many as 18 children would ride the bus. Canvas window flaps protected the riders
from the weather. An under-belly coal stove provided heat in the winter. It was the duty
of the driver to help younger children up the tall steps.
Hunnicutt’s Seed Store
This is a view of Lake Street looking south in downtown Knox in the 1910‟s. These two
stores were located in today‟s park area just to the right of the Laundromat.
Besides being a seed store, signs in the Hunnicutt building say “Auto Curtains
Repaired”, “Auto Tops Repaired”, “Furniture Repaired, Revarnished”. The store to the
left is Schlosser Bros. The sign says” Cash Buyers, Cream, Eggs, Poultry”.
The photo appears to have been taken before Lake St. was paved with brick. That may
be a Model T truck parked in the back.
Junior Dramatic Club
Around 1906, Fran Deering organized a Junior Dramatic Club that produced and
presented plays on Saturday afternoons for the benefit of the Knox High School Library.
>From left to right seated on the floor are Mary Gorrell, Charles Koffel. and Iris Lewis. In
the angel row are Ethel Hollandsworth (angel), an unknown, Florence Seagrist, Maurice
Ellis, Sylva Reiss, Stella Klopot and John Short. In the top row: Rex White, Effie Shilling,
Dolly McCormick, Beth Hinkley, Bernice Treva, Edith
Arnsword and Mary Basney.
Playing the part of the imprisoned princess is Sylva wearing one of her mother's tea
gowns, shortened, and a crown taken from Fran's hanging lamp. Charles
was the prince in Fran's Buster Brown jacket and beaver hat. Ethel's mother made her
white dress and the large wings. Rex was the Ogre.
Ed Uncapher was the stage manager who set up the scenery and raised and lowered
the curtain. Charles Savery collected the quarters at the Saturday matinees, which were
always a full house.
Kiest Feed Store
Henry and Pearl Kiest moved to Knox in the 1910's from Illinois. Henry opened a milling
operation on Pearl Street between Lake and Bender Streets. That block might have
been known as the mill block, as there were as many as three feed & seed stores
located there.
This photo shows his first operation before he built a smaller brick building to its left.
Henry is standing at the doorway. The Kiests milled and sold fresh corn meal, graham
flour and buckwheat flour. They also sold poultry, hog and cattle feed. Garden seeds
were said to be their speciality. The mill was powered by an electrical motor.
Henry was also an avid sportsman. He invented a special casting reel and was issued a
U.S. Patent for it. His reel and other sporting items were sold all over the country by
word of mouth and a 32 page catalog.
Kiwanis Club
A photo taken during the 1950's shows members of the Knox Kiwanis Club about to
deliver Christmas baskets to the needy. Bread and eggs are visible in most of the
baskets.
The Kiwanis were founded in Detroit in 1915 and describe themselves as an
organization of service and community minded individuals from all walks of life.
From left to right: John McSherry (teacher/principal) , Paul Tucker (County Auditor), Jim
Poulen (salesman), Almo Smith (insurance), Elmer Johnson (John Deere Dealership),
Rudy Stark (Cashier, Farmers Bank & Trust) and Frank Gurado (Manager, Seaboard
Finance).
Knights of Pythias
A photo of the officers of the Knights of Pythias organization in Knox dated 1905. The
Knights of Pythias was founded in 1864 during the Civil War. The organization, which is
still active in some Indiana communities, is dedicated to universal peace and was
founded on the principles of "Friendship, Charity and Benevolence".
The Knox order was founded sometime before 1898, as a photo is on file of their 18
member orchestra in that same year.
From left to right: John Jones, Monroe McCormick, Glen Peters, Charles Peters and
Frank Green. John Jones was a local businessman and secretary of the Crown Hill
Cemetery Association, Monroe McCormick was one of the organizers of the First
National Bank of Knox and the Bank of Starke County in Hamlet, Glen Peters and his
father, Charles Peters were attorneys in Knox and Frank Green owned and operated
Green‟s Drug Store in downtown Knox. Many of the early 1900‟s postcards of Knox and
Bass Lake were printed by Frank Green on his hand operated printing press.
Knox Airport
Sometime around 1946-47 this RC-3 Seabee visited the Knox airport. It was made by
Republic; the same company that made the P-47 WWII Thunderbolt fighter airplane.
Then a high school student, Jim Shilling remembers the boys being fascinated by this
unique airplane. It had a single 6-cylinder engine mounted as a pusher.
Roy Eichstaedt is standing to the far left. His secretary Mary Jaskowiak is standing by
the courtesy car. Roy sold his part of the airport to Carl Hansen July 8, 1947.
At that time the airport was just a few hundred feet south of the high school. It was the
third airport at or near Knox and had opened in 1945 as WWII was ending. It was closed
in the early 1970s and rebuilt three miles northwest of Knox on 200E.
The first Knox Airport, established in 1928, was located at the northeast corner of US35
and SR8 north of town. It closed around 1930 after the Great Depression hit.
The second was established in 1938 about a mile west of US35 on SR 8 northwest of
town. It too was short-lived and closed when the government ordered all private planes
disassembled or sold to the military when WWII broke out in 1941.
Knox Baseball Team
Knox's 1948 baseball team is shown in this photo.
A note says the team was sponsored by Wentz Motor Sales, yet their jerseys say Post
131 [American Legion].
From left to right: Earl McGuire, Jim Olson, Rollie Akers, Don Biddle, Bob Orr, Devon
Miller, Dick Bytnar, Andy Torok, Alton Williams, Harry Ray, Larry Richey, Marion
Shearin, Delman Creviston and Harvey Brown. Bob Basney and Jim Tucker were the
managers.
Knox Grade School
A Knox 1953-1954 first grade class is shown in this photo taken at the former Foltz
School on South Main Street.
Mrs. Marie Carey was a first grade teacher there for many years. There were actually
three first grade classes, each with a different teacher.
Some of the chidren:
From left to right, 1st Row; #1 Rod Drosy, #3 David Aquino.
2nd Row; #2 Wilma Sallee, #3 Coreen Sallee, #7 Marian Myers and #9 _ Kenny.
3rd Row; #1 Linda Lenig or Christine Neander, #4 Janice Clark and #6 Linda Allen.
Back Row; #1 William Brown, #2 Greg Watkins or Anderson, #5 Ed Boggs, #6 Tom
Heilman and #8 Bob Pulver.
Knox Grade School
This photo appears to have been taken in the mid-1950's at Palmer Elementary School
in Knox. It may be the 5th or 6th grade. The teacher was Jack Foust.
Front row: Chuck Moroni, Terry McGill, Jesse Unknown, Unknown, and Jim Kisler.
2nd Row: Donna Riehle, Colata Estok, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown and Sharon
Cleveland.
3rd Row: Unknown, Jim Youngreen, Barbara Peele, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown and
Unknown Rudd.
Back Row: Ford Clemons, Bob Baker, Lance Bridegroom, Tommy Birkey, Marvin Price
and Gerald Fletcher.
Knox Grade School Basketball Team
The Knox 7th - 8th Grade basketball team won the title of Starke County Champs in
1946. This photo was taken in the old gym on Main Street. It had been built in 1927. At
a recent class reunion, each attendee was presented with a small piece of this very
same basketball floor by fellow student Jim Shilling.
Rollin Whiting was the coach. Rollin was the youngest son of Rollin and Maude Whiting,
a North Bend farm family. He had taught at the Winona school at Bass Lake in the
1930's before teaching at Knox up through the early 1970's. Rollin taught Industrial Arts
at the time of this photo and later taught Math, as well.
The players in this photo are from left to right, back row: William Solliday, Jesse Dedloff,
James McIntire, Devon Miller, Alton Williams and Harold Sheperd. Front row: Ray
Fowler, Carl Coffin, James Ryan, William Wilson, Melvin Salyer and James Olson.
Knox Grade School Basketball Team
The 2005 basketball season is just a few weeks away. Back in 1949-1950, Coach Frank
Young posed with his Knox 8th grade team for this photo.
From left to right, back row: Bob Kemble, Ralph Moreland, George Christopher, Frank
Young (Coach), Ernest Summa, Dan Nelson and Lee Benninghoff. Front row: Karl
Olson, Richard Reed, Don Solliday, Donald Downs, Dick Gretz, Bob Barna and Ronald
Allen.
This photo would have been taken in the gym at the former school in the 300 block of
South Main Street in Knox, which is now a housing complex.
In addition to coaching basketball, Mr.Young also taught math and algebra at Center
Township and Knox Schools for many years.
Knox High School
Knox's first high school was built in 1894 on land purchased in 1869. A wood frame
grade school had previously been located there but burned down in the spring of 1894.
The high school was located on South Main St. just south of Delaware St. There were
just six teachers. The first graduation was held in 1896. Only one student, Harry
Hostetter, graduated that year.
Around 1903, a library was added with funding from school plays and other events.
Athletics were introduced in 1917, but all equipment and activity were outdoors. In 1927,
a gymnasium was added that was touted as one of the best in northern Indiana.
This photo is dated shortly after 1927. Note the Ford Model A on the right. The school
was used for more than 80 years, but was demolished in 1976 to make way for an
apartment complex.
Knox High School
Knox High School's Senior Class of 1933 is shown in this photo. From left to right front
row: Myron Bleam, James Clark, Cliff Gustafson, Irvin Werner, Phillip Brownstein and
Kenneth Keen.
2nd row: Robert Younglove, Gene Heilman (Teacher), Julius Henry (Superintendent),
Marie Hammerlund, Myrtle Drews, Hazel Smith, Marie Wolfe, Alice Kistler, Marie
Ferretti, John Moreland.
3rd row: Emily Ruzas, Marjorie Smith, Rosemary Thurman, Hazel Rogers, Pauline
Meyers, Vera Susdorf, Mildred Holm.
4th row: Silvia Reinholt, Opal Walder, Anna Mae Cox, Mildred Hewitt, and Martha
Savery.
5th row: Willodean Wallick, Bernice Staley, Loretta Bortell, Ermadine Zechiel, Tony
Maslowicz and Burson Beauchamp.
6th row: Linus Loudermilk, Richard O'Hara, Verl Bailey, Evano Ferretti, Joe McGovern,
Paul Grove, John Croy and Charles Rodgers.
Back row: Richard Good, Donald Conner, Glen Chapman, Donald Baldwin, Steve Kafka
and Louis Taitel.
Knox High School Basketball Team
A photo donated to the museum by retired Knox Teacher, James Hamblin shows Knox
High School's 1948 "B" Team.
The KHS Redskins were "County Champions" that year. This photo was taken in the old
gymnasium built in 1927.
From left to right, back row: James Hamblin (Coach), Jack Schultz, Ed Hudkins, Ray
Carey, Cecil Bridegroom, Tom Kaminski, Jim Olson, Jim Hindle, Bob Troyer and John
McSherry (Principal). Front row: Jon Young, Walt Bridegroom, Delmon Creviston, Don
Biddle, Herbert Miller, Gordon Byer and Don Schultz.
Knox High School Basketball Team
Seems like it was just yesterday, but this photo of the Knox High School Basketball
Team of 1962-1963 was taken 44 years ago.
From left to right, standing: Coach Herb Reinhart, Bill Stuteville, Ron Buckley, Paul
Berning, Terry Golding, Doug Hite and Coach Bob Beeson; front row: Harry
Montgomery, Ed Aquino, Gene Brems, Mike Riehle, Dick Binkley and Sonny Wyland.
Knox High School Boys Basketball Team
Knox High School Boy's Basketball Team 1928: Back Row; left to right; Bill Lewis, Julius
Henry (Superintendent and Coach) and Guy Loudermilk; Middle Row; Ernie Row, Craig
Jones, Pete Stevenson, Jesse Clabaugh and Howard Steele. Front Row; Milford
Whitcamper, Al Byer and Red Lockridge.
Superintendent Henry coached for a number of years and was known for "roughhousing" and mixing it up with the boys, much to their delight.
Knox High School Boys Basketball Team – 1953
Knox High School‟s 1953 Sectional winners are shown in this photo taken in the old
Gym on Main Street built in 1927.
From left to right, back row: Jim Tucker (manager), Tom Beck (sponsor), Nick Huffman,
James Williams, Meryl Cook, Bill Folkers and Paul McPherson (coach); front row: John
Solmos, Dick Mast, Bob Voekel, Bill Elam, Howard Leedy and Harold Deli.
Knox High School Class
The Knox High School Class of 1904 is shown in this picture.
The graduation program was held at the Knox Opera House Friday evening, May 6,
1904. Charles Lundin gave the Valedictory, and Mabel Good gave the Salutatory. Rev.
D. G. Wakeman had given the Baccalaureate Address May 1st at the Knox Methodist
Church. Harriet M. Silliman was the Principal, and Elmer D. Gordon was the Assistant
Principal at that time.
This was only the 5th Commencement Exercise for the high school; the first having
been in 1900. There had been three graduates prior to 1900, but apparently too few to
put on a program.
From left to right, back row: Cecil Jackson, Milton Robbins, Chester McCormick,
Charles Lundin, William Baldwin and Homer Rogers; front row: Edith Baldwin, Ethel
Trevor and Mabel Good.
Knox High School Class
A photo of the Knox High School Class of 1930 was taken in front of the courthouse. It
was about this time that it became common for our local high schools to rent caps &
gowns for their graduating seniors.
Front row, left to right: Charles Lundin, Dorothy De Mont, Alfred Summers, Frances
Windisch, Thomas Hollingsworth, Ardis Loudermilk, Taylor Hollingsworth and Bernice
Wolf; 2nd row: Fred Smith, Rex Uncaphor, Mildred Tompkins, Kathryn Peeler, Bonnie
Rogers, Frances Whitmer, Bernice Boyer, Blanche Kistler, Rebecca Taitel and Edith
Hildegos. 3rd row: Clifford Kaiser, Evelyn Busse, Alta Susdorf, Violet Engle, Margaret
Fell and Marjorie Laramore; 4th row: Hibbard Paul, Joe Bolen, Russel Bailey, Albert
Fout, Hugo Pawlick, Cledith Good, Robert Mulligan, Arles Alberding and Howard Smith.
Knox High School Class Play
The Knox High School Class of 1912 is shown performing their senior play "A College
Town" at the Reiss Opera House.
Besides theatrical productions, Gus Reiss allowed the top floor of his clothing store at 4
South Main Street in Knox to be used for high school plays, graduations and even
basketball games. That was before a gymnasium was built in 1928. Today, this historic
building is home to Main Street Computers.
Front Row: Charles Green, Colum Shilling, ?, ?, ? and Lowell Spikes. Middle Row:
Bessie Patch, Fleda Rockwell, Mabel Michaelson, Minnie Coffin, Frances Chapel, Julia
Geddes, Iva Rodgers, Florence Seegrist, Stella Klopot, and Ed Walser. Back Row:
Thomas Applegate, Leota Baily, Gladys Childs, Blanche Childs, ?, ?, Herschel Sutton,
Clifford Uncapher, and ? We suspect that members of the Junior Class helped fill out
the cast this year. Teachers that year were Ada Ballard, Glenn Fox, Harry Elder, Edith
Beers and Irma Pierson. The Principal was Ida Adams. Gus Reiss was President of the
Board of Education.
Knox High School Football Players
Back in 1944, Knox High School senior football players (from left to right) Bob Beeson,
Chuck Milner and Jim Tucker posed for this photo.
Bob and Jim went on to become teachers at Knox, while Chuck became a local
construction contractor.
Years later "Basketball Coach" Bob Beeson along with Assistant Coach Herb Reinholt
took the 1961-62 KHS basketball team all the way down to the semi-state finals at West
Lafayette.
A photo taken sometime in the 1940s shows Coach Norman Hubner with the Knox High
School Football Team. The little boy is the coach‟s son Jerry.
The team apparently practiced in Wythogan Park at that time, as the brick water tower
can be seen in the background. The new high school on South Main at Culver Road
was built in 1943, and a football field constructed there in the late 1940s.
With high school football season upon us, it might be interesting to take a look at the
1947 Knox High School football team. Yes, that was almost 60 years ago!
This photo was taken in the old gym that was demolished in the 1970's. Coach James
Hamblin is on the lower left and Coach Roger Laramore is on the lower right. Ben
Bowen (#52) is third from the left in the middle row. Ben was a graduate of the KHS
Class of 1950. He died in Korea during the Korean War. Each year Knox High School
presents an outstanding Senior athlete with the prestigious Ben Bowen Award in his
memory. We need help identifying the rest of the boys on the football team that year.
This should be easy for longtime Redskin fans. Please contact the Starke County
Historical Society at 772-5393 or Marvin Allen at 772-5936.
Knox High School Girls Basketball Team
The 1926 – 1927 Knox High School Girl‟s Basketball Team: back row left to right; Marie
Dunsing, Geraldine Newby, Margaret Lundin, Miss Evelyn Phillips (coach), Mary
Brownstein and Bonnie (Rogers) Taylor. Front row; Ida (Engel) Klampe, Glenda
Stephenson and Ardes Loudermilk.
This may have been the first year that Knox had a girl‟s basketball team. The
gymnasium had been built that same year, thanks to the efforts of School
Superintendent, Julius Henry.
Previously, all school sports activities were outside. The gym was said to have been
one of the best in northern Indiana at the time. This was the High School and later
Junior High School that stood in the 300 block of South Main Street.
Knox High School Junior Class Play
A photo dated April 1948 shows the Knox High School Junior Class Play that year. The
name of the play was "The Babysitter". Mrs. Abner was the Director.
Cast of characters: Evelyn Schiller, Norman Mishkovsky, Livey Belle Corey, Jim
Newhouse, Ronald Humes, Beverly Duensing, Zellaree Risner, Joan Barnett, Bob
Edgell, Don Lucas, John Borg, Jim Marks, Joanne Rogers, Gloria Johnson, Don Biddle,
and Kattie Craigmile.
Principal Julius Henry is also pictured in the doorway.
Knox High School Juniors
Knox High School's Junior Class is shown in this photo dated Feb. 2, 1928.
From left to right, back row: Richard VanDeman, Robert Mulligan, Ralph Stevenson,
Ivan Kesler, Forest White, Joe Grindle and Wade Spoor; 2nd row: Alva Martin, Ida
Engle, Doris Bortell, Eva Boehm, Samuel Bailey, Sylvester Thurmon, Bernice
Mathewson, Mrs. Abner (Sponsor) and Rosetta Bickel; 3rd row: Mr. Stanley (Sponsor),
Mary Kiest, Eleanor Raschka, Rosella Zechiel, Vera Ellen Wolfe, Ethel Short, Elinor
Radtke and Irvin Hite; front row: Jack Stevens, Rolland Werblo, Leslie Rockwell,
Benjamin Rogers, Jesse Thomas Clabaugh and Paul McGovern.
Class officers that year were: President, Irvin Hite; Secretary, Ralph Stevenson;
Treasurer, Ivan Kesler.
Knox High School Spring Concert – 1950
Knox High School's Spring Concert is show in this photo dated May 5, 1950. The
director was Miss Schwier.
Knox High School Teachers
A photo taken around 1940 shows Knox High School teachers Roy Johnson and Julia
Hite standing beside School Superintendent Julius Henry.
Superintendent Henry is credited with having the first gymnasium built for Knox Schools
back in 1927 and was very supportive of all high school sports. Roy Johnson
taught history and Julia Hite taught language.
This photo was taken in the old high school building formerly located in the 300 block of
South Main Street.
Knox High School Track Team
A photo of the 1929 Knox High School Track Team shows they won a county wide track
event that year.
Some of the boys said to be in this picture: Glen Rogers, Paul McGovern, Rex
Uncaphor, Taylor Hollingsworth, Albert Fout, Bill Shaw, Pete Stevenson and Tom
Hollingsworth.
We have to wonder where the track field was located at that time. This was years before
the school was built at Main St. and Culver Rd. It was also before Wythogan Park was
built.
Knox Kindergarten
This is thought to be a photo of a 1945-1946 Knox Kindergarten class.
The following children are listed on the back, but we are not sure the order or spelling is
correct. Danny Zingarelli, Robert Schwartz, Ron Hutton, Jim Falvey, Jim Drews, _____
McQuaye, Ruth Ann _____, Jean DeArmond, Carol Banta, Marvin Cook, Bill Byer, Fred
Byer and Unknown. The teacher may have been Edna Drews.
Knox Kindergarten
A 1947 photo shows a Knox kindergarten class taught by Edna Drews. The incomplete
names written on the back of the photo are: Jimmy Basney, John Falvey, Priscilla
Frailey, Earl Eggert, Fred Byer, Sue Solliday, Joy Polen, Jimmy Kistler and Bob
Mulligan.
Knox Ladies Club
The Knox Ladies Club of 1906 is shown in this picture. The era of the Women's
Suffrage movement was upon America and it greatly influenced fashions of the day.
The ideal 18" corseted waist of the 1890's was gone.
Women's fashions of the day were heavily influenced by the "Gibson Girl", a character
drawn by American artist, Charles Gibson. His image of the "New Woman" was
competitive, sporty and emancipated as well as beautiful. He set a fashion for skirts
worn with embroidered and ornate blouses, using lace, pleats and applique. Home
dressmakers did their best to emulate the new fashion, as shown in this photo.
But, it would be 1920 before the women of America had the right to vote.
From left to right; Ola Sumner, Sadie Ribre, Norma Hepner, Carrie Daniel, Ethel Trevor
and Audrey Miller.
Knox Theater
In 1952, the Knox Theater was showing "Young Man With Ideas" starring a young
Glenn Ford and Ruth Roman.
Knox Town Hall and Fire Department was just to the left. Back then you called the
telephone operator to reach the fire department or town marshal. This was also before
the mayor system of government was established in Knox.
Next to the left was Farmers Bank & Trust. Bob's Hardware was to the right and sold
just about anything a homeowner needed for repairs.
The post office was located to the right of the hardware. It cost 3 cents to mail a letter at
that time.
A single penny in a parking meter was good for 12 minutes.
Knox Variety Store
The Knox Variety Store was located on the south-east corner of Lake and Main Streets
in downtown Knox. It sported the typical canvas awning of those days.
In the far back of the building by the horse and buggy, a sign can be seen that says
“Market and Grocery”. In the front corner, there is a stairway leading downstairs. The
sign says “Pocket Billiards, Cigars, Cigarettes, Tobacco and Candy”. Upstairs was
Newtson Brothers Real Estate and Insurance. The front window has gloves, mittens,
aprons and glassware on display. A sign by the door says “Melting Marshmallows 30
cents”.
The building has been vacant for some years and was recently taken down. This photo
was probably taken between 1910 and 1920.
Knox-Center Band
A photo dated 1950 shows the Knox-Center Band. It had been 8 years since Center
Twp School burned down.
The Center students were merged into the Knox school system in 1942, as reflected in
the name on the drum. More recently, in 1997, the color blue was added to Knox school
colors to preserve the memory of the Center Twp "Blue Streaks".
Front row, left to right: Richard Miller, Phil Funk, Jeane Pyfer, Jim Carey, Jon Young,
Robert Gerhardt, Jessie Samuels, Jean Overholser and Barbara Pursell.
Middle row: Bill Anderson, David Matthews, Joan Eschel, Bobby Brooks, Pat Cox,
Ralph Moreland and Barbara Pyfer.
Back row: Kenneth Hughes (Director), Bob Whiting, unknown, Dean Golding, Dana
Clark, Pat Stevenson, Barabara Fletcher and Richard Warner.
Herbert R. Koffel built his "Model Pharmacy" around 1895 in downtown Knox at the
north-east corner of Main & Lake Streets. Herbert was raised by his grandparents
Jonathon and Susanna Koffel. They had come to Starke County in the 1860's from
Pennsylvania. Herbert became an attorney in Knox, where he also engaged in other
business interests. The block where his drugstore was located was known as Koffel's
block. The Farmers State Bank was in the north half of the building. Herbert was on its
board of directors. He and C.H. Bish built Knox's first electrical power plant in 1897.
Koffel's soda fountain counter was a popular place where town residents met and
discussed the day's events. Herbert's son, Charles, became a druggist and took over
the store in 1924. Charles is standing in the rear of the store in this picture taken
sometime in the 1920's. Chocolate must have been a favorite store item. There are
several displays of it. One says 10 cents per pound. "Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin",
"Castoria", "Life-Savers", and several brands of cigars are advertised. Back then drug
stores also sold wallpaper, paint, varnish and chemicals. Unlike today, most items were
in glass cases behind the counters and required a sales clerk's assistance. There were
offices upstairs, one of which was used by Dr. Steven Brown, Henry Schricker's fatherin-law.
Luther Evert purchased the store from the Koffels around 1939. He had been working
there as a pharmacist for several years. After more than 75 busy years, the drug store
finally closed in the early 1970's. The building was most recently used as a movie
theater.
Koffel's Drug Store was built in 1891 at the northeast corner of Lake and Main Streets in
downtown Knox by Herbert A. Koffel. Sometime in the 1920's, his son, Charles, took it
over. Around 1939, Luther Evert bought the drug store and ran it until the 1970's. In
recent years, an attempt was made to operate it as a movie theater. Today, it would be
one of the oldest brick buildings in Knox.
At the time of this photo, it stood alone at this corner. A gentleman is seated in the
upstairs window third from the right. That might be Mr. Koffel. The street is not yet
paved with brick and a pile of sand is left from construction.
Notice the upper building ornaments that are no longer there. The Citizen's Bank
occupied the lower left side of the building the 1890's. Within a few years, Citizens Bank
was bought by Farmers State Bank. They located their offices in that same portion of
the building and soon built a different more substantial front that is still visible today.
Lake Street
A photo dated January 1910 shows a view of Lake St. looking east toward Pearl St. in
Knox after a snow storm.
On the left over on Pearl St., Wells Feed & Seed Store and Kiest Milling Co. can be
seen. Next on the corner was Dr. Schwier's office (most recently a laundromat), then
Townsend's Grocery Store, Osborn's Seed Store, The Republican Newspaper Office
and part of Prettyman's Land Office.
A combination of horse drawn snow plows and shovels were most likely used to clear
the streets in Knox at that time.
L. E. Elder
A snapshot taken by Joe Cox in 1940 shows a local farmer, L.E. Elder, standing beside
a 1939 Chevrolet.
Mr. Elder lived on 550 East in California Twp. He may have just stepped out of Kiest's
Mill as he seems to be holding a sack of seed or grain.
The view is looking toward what is now Knox Community Center on Lake Street. To the
left is Ritt & Schultz Grocery Store; most recently a laundromat. From right to left on
Lake Street: Walter's Radio Shop, an ice cream store and a barber shop. Later Ralph
Davis took over the ice cream shop and made double-ended ice cream cones famous,
at least locally.
Livery Stable
A photo taken sometime during the 1940's shows an unknown gentleman standing near
the railroad crossing at Pearl Street in Knox.
The view is looking toward the northeast, The building in the background was a feed
store. It is also said to have been the last livery stable in Knox.
Long Thompson Lumber Yard
William Bollman of Plymouth, IN established a lumber yard on Prettyman Street in Knox
shortly after the New York, Chicago & St. Louis RR was built through town in 1882.
Around 1900, S.C. Close bought the lumber yard and sold it to John W. Long in 1902.
Albert H. Thompson bought half interest in 1912, and the business became Long Thompson Lumber Co. After John W. Long passed away in the 1920s, his son-in-law,
Forrest Whitson took over the business and ran it until he passed away in 1943.
Forrest's wife, Helen (Long) Whitson, continued to own the lumber yard until the 1970s,
when it was closed and later demolished. This undated photo may have been taken in
the 1940s.
Main & Washington Streets
A 1922 view looking south-east from Main and Washington Streets in downtown Knox.
The distinctive building in the center was the home of Oscar B. Smith's Law Office,
which was located on the 2nd floor. Dr. D.O. White's office was also located upstairs.
The first floor is occupied by Savery's Auto Supply and Goodyear Service Station.
Spare tires, headlamps and horns are displayed in the window. A sign advertises Lee
Tires. Just to the right of the front door a fire alarm trip box can be see mounted in the
sidewalk.
To the far right, Starke County Savings & Trust Bank can be seen, which became the
Farmer's Bank & Trust and eventually Key Bank. Looking east on Washington, a vacant
wood frame building is next, then an empty lot, followed by Henry Robbin's Law Office
and finally James C. Fletcher's Starke County Abstract Company. The abstract office
also housed Peters & Peters Law Offices, B.D.L. Glazebrook's Law Office and Winona
Telephone Company. The fire alarm tower can be seen rising above the abstract office.
Main Street Railroad Crossing
A photo taken shortly after 1927 shows the new electrical railroad signals for the Nickel
Plate tracks that have been installed on Main Street in downtown Knox. Earlier photos
show a single warning sign without lights and a sign that says "watchman on duty 6:30
A.M. to 11:30 P.M." Those photos show a small shed on the left side where the
watchman apparently stayed prior to the watchtower also being built in 1927.
This view is looking north. The Fitz Hotel can be seen on the west side of the street. On
the east side, the Ford dealership is now known as Carpenter Motors. Its gasoline
pumps and air hoses can be seen to the far right. The overhang for the Fairy Theater
can also be seen farther down the street.
Maude Brown and Gov. Henry F. Schricker
This photo of Gov. Henry F. Schricker is dated 1912, when he was owner, editor and
publisher of the Starke County Democrat.
At the time his photo was taken, his future bride, Maude Brown, was homesteading 160
acres alone in North Dakota. This photo of her was taken about the time she graduated
from Knox High School. Maude had taught school here locally at Toto, when the story
goes that she and Henry had a "bit of a spate". In a show of independence rare for
those days, she picked up and moved west alone. There she lived in a log cabin and
taught in a one-room prairie school. Her companions were her pony Brownie, her dog
Dewey and a Stevens rifle.
In 1914, Henry boarded a train for North Dakota and once there convinced his future
wife of 50 plus years to come home to Knox. Later, the sale of the land she
homesteaded, put the Schricker children through college.
Methodist Church
This photo shows the third Knox Methodist Church. It was built in 1891 at the northwest
corner of Bower and John Streets. We can date this photo to sometime between 1897
and 1902, since a parsonage was built in the vacant lot to the right of the church in
1902. And the first electrical power plant was built in Knox in 1897. At first it was only
used for street lights. A carbon arc street light can be seen hanging from wires in this
photo. Even though the lights were only operated from dark to 11 P.M., the carbon rods
had to be changed every other day or so. Each light had a rope fastened to it, so it
could be lowered for maintenance.
In 1912, this same church building was moved over to the southwest corner of Shield
and John Streets. There it was extensively remodeled. Sunday School classrooms were
added, a basement was built under it and a new bell tower added. That building was
demolished in 1987 to make way for the present facility.
Methodism in Knox dates back to1843, when a circuit rider would make his way on
horseback from Plymouth or Winamac to conduct services at Knox. Those early
services were held in log cabin homes. The first church building was built right in
downtown Knox in 1857. It was located just south of today's Key Bank on Main Street.
The second church building was built in 1875 at the northwest corner of John and
Bower Streets, as was the church in this photo.
Methodist Church
A photo dated 1922 shows the Methodist Church at that time in Knox.
This particular building was built in 1891 at the northwest corner of Bower and John
Streets. In 1912 it was moved over to the southwest corner of Shield and John Streets,
where it was extensively remodeled. Sunday School classrooms were added, a
basement was built under it and a new bell tower was added as shown in this photo.
This building was demolished in 1987 to make way for the present church. Most of
these beautiful stained glass windows were incorporated in the new building.
Methodist Sunday School Teachers
The Knox Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday School Teachers of 1908 are shown in
this photo. At the time, class enrollment was around 150 with as many as 21 teachers
and officers.
Sunday School had been an important part of education dating back to the earliest days
of Starke County. Before the days of free public schools in Indiana, school was often
held on Sunday in local churches. Class might start at 6AM, adjourn at 10AM for the
sermon, commence again at 2PM and then close at 6PM.
Back Row, Left to Right: Mabel Michelson, Frieda Rockwell, Faye Rush, Blanch Childs
and Mary Jain; Middle Row: Nora Dawson, Iva Rodgers, Beulah Smith, Ida Adams,
Sylva Reiss and Effie Shilling; Front Row: Naomi Pontious, Florence Siegrist, Stella
Klopot, Minnie Coffin, Bernice Ankerman and Gladys Childs.
Metzger, Albert
Through the 1920's and into the 1940's, the Fairy Theater in downtown Knox was a
favorite place to see the latest movie.
During much of that time, Albert Metzger ran the theater starting with silent movies and
progressing to "talkies". Albert would have shown such films as Frankenstein in 1931,
Mutiny on the Bounty in 1935, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, and the
Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind in 1939. It is said he ran a tight ship and didn't
tolerate any fooling around in his theater.
New York Central Depot
How many local residents remember that Knox used to have two depots?
This is a photo of the NYC RR depot that was located on the west side of town at the
end of Lake St. The now abandoned railroad line was built in 1886 as the Iowa, Illinois
and Indiana RR. It was commonly known as the 3-I in the early part of the last century.
Local residents of the day would use it to travel between North Judson, Knox and South
Bend.
The story goes that young Henry Schricker met his future bride, Maude Brown, while
walking the 3-I tracks to his assistant clerk‟s job at the courthouse around 1905. She
was taking the family cow out to pasture.
Most recently it was part of the New York Central RR system. The schedule sign says
October 13, 1924.
Nickel Plate Cafe
The Nickel Plate Cafe was located on the west side of Pearl St., just south of the
railroad tracks in downtown Knox.
This photo was recently scanned from a glass negative donated to the Starke County
Historical Society by Stella (Klopot) Bonner some years ago.
Based on the cars in the background, the picture dates from the early 1930‟s. Part of
the Fitz Hotel and the Sears Roebuck building can be seen in the background over on
Main St. The small print in the café‟s window says “Dining Room Connection”.
Nickel Plate Depot
A photo dated 1895 shows Nickel Plate #44, a wood burning steam locomotive,
approaching the Knox Depot from the east. The Nickel Plate retired its last wood
burning engine in 1920 having replaced them with more powerful coal burning engines.
Standing beside the engine are: Charles H. Bromelmeur, Engineer; J.H. Rainey,
Fireman; John McVey, Conductor and Ralph W. Springer, Brakeman. William W. Fox,
Telegraph Operator and Frank E. Fox, Ticket Agent are standing beside the depot's
freight door.
Nickel Plate was the nickname for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis RR, which was
built through Starke County in 1882. A sign on the building's corner says Western Union
Telegraph Office. The RR had also brought the first telegraph office to Knox that year.
Back then if you wanted to get a message to someone in another town faster than
regular mail, you went to the telegraph office. In Knox, Mr. Fox would click out the
message in Morse Code on his telegraph key. Other operators in other towns would
listen for their station's code. If the message were for them, they would listen to the
code and write down the message on a slip of paper. A runner would hand deliver the
message to the recipient. It would be 1898 before the first telephones were installed in
Knox.
The depot was used as a passenger station until 1965 and a freight station until 1984. It
was sold to the Starke County Historical Society in 1992 and moved to its present
location north of Knox. The 124 year old depot has been authentically restored and
houses many historical displays. It is home to several community offices and is open to
visitors.
Nickel Plate Depot
A photo from around 1910 shows a common scene at the Nickel Plate Depot in Knox; a
hundred or more passengers arriving and departing. Taxi cabs of the day are ready to
take them to their destinations. The auto in front appears to be a 1906 Buick, Model F.
Many are probably bound for one of the dozen hotels at Bass Lake. Others may be in
Knox on business and plan to stay at either the Fitz Hotel or the Fay Hotel. This view is
looking toward the east. The water tower for the steam locomotives is just east of the
depot. Just below the water tower an outhouse is visible. This depot was used for
passengers until 1965 and for freight until 1984. It was moved to the north end of Knox,
where it was restored and reopened in 2000. It is now home to several community
offices, and its many historical displays are open to the public.
Nickel Plate was the nickname for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. It was
built through Knox in 1882. Up to that time, Knox did not have its own railroad service.
The nickname is believed to stem from the fact that it was one of the few railroads to be
built in those days with cash instead of bonds. Today the line is owned by Norfolk
Southern and is the most used railroad line in the county with about 40 daily freight
trains.
Nickel Plate Depot & Tower
The Nickel Plate watchman's tower was located along the north side of the railroad
tracks between Pearl and Heaton Streets in downtown Knox. It was built around 1927,
about the same time electrical signals were added at Main, Pearl and Heaton Streets.
Previous to this, a watchman in a shed by the tracks manually alerted motorists and
pedestrians to on-coming trains with flags.
This tower is in the process of restoration at the north gateway to Knox across from the
already renovated Nickel Plate Depot. It is interesting to note that the name Nickel Plate
may have come from the fact that the financing for this new railroad in the 1800's was
so solid that it was referrred to as "nickel plated". Back then many other railroads were
built with little financial backing and soon went bankrupt. Others have said the railroad
cost so much, it might as well have been "nickel plated".
This railroad line was first built as the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad through
Knox in 1882. Today it is operated by Norfolk Southern, with as many as 30 freight
trains a day though Brems, Knox and Ober.
Nickel Plate Locomotives
A photo taken around 1950 shows two steam locomotives facing each other at the Pearl
Street crossing in Knox. The view is looking east. The Nickel Plate depot and water
tower can be seen on the right, while the watchman's tower is on the north side of the
tracks.
Notice there were double tracks at that time to allow trains to pass each other in
opposite directions. There used to be a saying to always look both ways when crossing
railroad tracks.
Engine #713 is facing us. It was a Berkshire 2-8-4. This meant it had 2 wheels under the
front, 8 driving wheels and 4 wheels under the cab. It carried 22,000 gallons of water
and 22 tons of coal. The other engine was #653. It was a Mikado 2-8-2 and only slightly
smaller. Both locomotives belonged to the Nickel Plate RR line.
Thanks to Jeff Berg for loaning this unusual photo to the museum.
Osborn’s Variety Store
John Osborn had a variety store on the south side of East Lake Street between 1900
and the 1920s. It was located in the park-like area beside the laundromat.
Previous to owning the store, John had been a railroad engineer and lived in North
Judson with his wife Elizabeth.
Part of The Republican newspaper building can be seen just to the right. A cigar store
was to the left. The cylinder shaped device in the front center of the photo appears to be
a fire call box. Was there a switch inside that anyone could use to set off a town-wide
siren, or was there a telephone inside with a direct line to the telephone operator?
Patrick Home
A photo taken sometime around 100 years ago shows Thomas and Mary Patrick in front
of their home at 201 S. Heaton Street in Knox. This photo was probably taken by
Sigmund Klopot, Stella (Klopot) Bonner's father. From left to right: Thomas, Earl (son),
Mary, unknown older lady and Emily (daughter) Patrick. Thomas Patrick was listed as a
salesman on the 1900 census.
Other items of note: Heaton Street is still a dirt road at this point, but a pile of bricks on
the right indicate either Heaton or New York Street is about to be paved with brick. The
sidewalk on the right is actually a wooden board side walk, which was common at that
time. It was probably made from local white oak timber. The Patricks have a wooden
lawn swing, also popular around the turn of the last century. On the far left a neighbor's
barn and stable for horses can be seen.
Today this historic building is home to Binkley Real Estate, which is owned by Sharon
and Randall Denney.
Perry Rogers and His Horse Drawn Mail Buggy
A photo dated 1911 shows rural mail carrier Perry Rogers with his horse drawn mail
buggy.
Mr. Rogers delivered mail for Rural Route 1 out of Knox for many years. His 35 mile
route included parts of Center and California Townships, as well as the west side of
Bass Lake.
We can only imagine what it was like navigating the county roads during the winter
before snow plows. Rural mail delivery was the reason many county roads were
eventually improved.
The first rural mail carriers were only paid $300 a year. Rural mail delivery was fairly
new in 1911. It had only been become official in 1904. Prior to then, folks living in the
rural Starke County had to pick their mail up at the nearest general store in places like
Aldine, Brems, Ober and Toto.
A large framed version of this same photo was donated to the Grant W. Green Post
Office in Knox by the Starke County Historical Society and is on display in their lobby.
Pierson’s General Store
An early photo dated 1888 shows Wilbert A. Pierson's General Store. It was located at 8
South Main Street in downtown Knox. Notice the wood plank sidewalk, hitching post
and unpaved street. The third person from the right has a badge pinned to his vest. He
may be the county sheriff or town marshal. Mr. Pierson, standing to the left of the
doorway, grew up on his parent's farm in Washington Twp. and served two terms as
Starke County Treasurer in the late 1890's.
The second floor was home to Solliday's Cigar Factory. Seated in the windows left to
right: Bill Dalton, Slugger Meyer, William Solliday and Fred Solliday. Their brand name
was "Yadillos", which was Solliday spelled backward. This two story wood frame
building was taken down around 1900 and replaced with a brick building. It was home to
Wilken & Musser's Grocery Store for many years.
Rogers Family
Perry and Blanche Rogers are shown in this 1912 photo with their daughters Bonnie
and Hazel. The Rogers lived on West Lake Street in Knox.
Perry was the rural mail carrier out of Knox for Rural Route 1 for nearly 40 years. During
the early part of his career with the post office, he used a horse drawn cart to deliver the
mail on his daily 35 mile route. His route included parts of Center and California
Townships and the west side of Bass Lake.
The Starke County Historical Society donated a large framed picture of Mr. Rogers and
his mail cart to the Knox Post Office. It is on display in the lobby. Later in 1927,
daughter Bonnie, shown to the left, was named Miss Bass Lake.
Seagraves, Bunk
Bunk Seagraves was one of Knox's most memorable "characters". He was born in 1867
as Milton L. Seagraves, but his gift for telling tall stories soon earned him the nickname
of Bunk. He grew up in town, where his father, Wolfred was a blacksmith.
As a young man, he worked on the railroad eventually becoming an engineer. During
the Spanish American War, he was mustered into Captain Charles Windisch's Company
A, 157th Regiment. They were known as the Indiana Tigers. Later when asked if he
saw any hard fighting, he would reply that he was where the bullets were the thickest.
After the questioner was thoroughly engrossed in the story, Bunk would let him know he
slept under the ammunition wagon.
After his father died, Bunk took care of his mother Phoebe Ann until she died in 1919.
Once that responsibility was gone, he divided his time between the Kankakee River,
where he listed his occupation as trapper, and the benches outside the courthouse.
There he told many a tall story to just about anyone entering or leaving the courthouse.
Once he was bragging to a stranger about all the mink and otter he had been trapping,
which were out of season at the time. The stranger asked if he realized he happened to
be the game warden. Never at a loss, Bunk quickly asked if realized he was talking to
the "biggest darn liar in the state of Indiana." Bunk died in 1946 and is buried in Oak
Park Cemetery.
Shaw’s Ice Company
Before the days of refrigeration, ice making and distribution was an important local
industry. This photo shows William B. Shaw‟s horse drawn ice delivery wagon and is
dated around the turn of the last century.
Much of Shaw‟s ice was cut from the Yellow River bayous located just north of Knox.
Special hand saws were used to cut the ice into blocks while still frozen on top of the
water. It was a dangerous undertaking.
Delivery wagons, such as Shaw‟s, made the daily rounds around town. A large block of
ice might last 3 days or so in a home “ice box”. Later William Shaw added coal to his
home delivery service.
William‟s parents, Joseph and Abigail Shaw were among the earliest settlers in Starke
County, locating here from Ohio in the 1850‟s in North Bend Twp.
Sheriff’s Picnic
This photo from 1912 shows the former residence of Starke County's Sheriff. The
attached jail was just out of view to the right. Gabriel Doyle was the sheriff at that time.
The facility had been built in 1887 and was located at the southeast corner of Mound
and Pearl Streets in Knox. This view is looking north.
The two story brick residence of the sheriff was one of the finest homes in Knox when it
was built. It was an honor to be invited to the annual sheriff's picnic, which was held on
the south lawn. This was a formal affair attended by such folks as the Koffels, Peters,
Vanderweeles, Bortz's, Moormans, Longs, Whitsons and Hartzlers.
The jail, itself was attached to the east side of the house and had a separate entrance
on the south side. In the early days, there was also a stable located in the southeast
corner of the lot, where the sheriff's horses and buggies were kept.
Starke County's first sheriff was Jacob S. Wampler, who was appointed in 1850 instead
of being elected like all later sheriffs. In 1914, the sheriff's salary was $1,100 and the
jail's annual operating expenses were $700. In 1971, the Indiana Department of
Corrections found the facility inadequate and recommended that the 84 year old facility
be closed.
Sheriff’s Residence and Jail
The "old" county jail and sheriff's residence was built in 1887. It was located at the
southeast corner of Mound and Pearl Streets on the same property as today's facility.
The two story brick residence of the sheriff was one of the finest homes in Knox when it
was built.
The jail was attached to the east side of the house and had a separate entrance on the
south side. In the early days, there was also a stable where the sheriff's horses and
buggies were kept.
Sheriff Sidney Uncaphor is said to have purchased the first automobile for use in Starke
County in 1903.
The Indiana Department of Corrections found the old facility inadequate in 1971 and
recommended that the 84 year old jail be closed.
8th grade graduations were a county-wide event between 1904 and 1950 in Starke
County. Even as late as 1927, Starke County had 34 schools. Many were small one
schools that taught students up through the 8th grade, usually with one teacher. A
County School Superintendent administered uniform courses and grading for these
schools.
Upon graduation from the 8th grade, students from every school in Starke County
traveled to Knox on a Saturday. Many were accompanied by their entire family. There
they marched up Main Street, assembled on the East side of the courthouse and had
their picture taken around 1 P.M by Klopot Studios. For most, this was the biggest day
in their young lives. Every boy wore a suit and tie. Every girl wore a nice dress. For
many, their clothing was loaned by an older brother or sister.
Here a class from the late 1910's is seen marching south down Main Street through the
intersection at Lake Street on to Albert Metzger's Fairy Theater. Koffel's Drug Store,
later Evert's, is in the background. Once assembled at the Fairy Theater, graduates
were presented with their diplomas. At the time of this photo, many rural children were
not able to continue their education into high school due to lack of transportation and
commitments on the family farm.
A photo of the 1927 county-wide 8th Grade graduation - from 1904 to 1950, all Starke
County students graduating from the 8th grade participated in a graduation ceremony
that concluded with their picture being taken by Klopot Studios on the east side of the
courthouse.
Even as late as 1927, there were still 34 schools in Starke County. While 8 of them
offered high school classes, the others were mainly one-room schools with one teacher
that stopped at the 8th grade.
Lack of transportation to a high school, as well as farm work, prevented many farm
children from continuing their education past the 8th grade. This ceremony may have
been the biggest event in many of their young lives. For some, this might have been the
first time they had visited Knox and the courthouse.
The cost of the graduation photo about this time was only 25 cents, yet many families
could not afford one. The Starke County Museum does have almost all of these photos
and programs on file.
Starke County Centennial
A photo taken during Starke County's centennial celebration in 1950 shows Ray
Braman of the then Kennedy & Braman Funeral Home riding on a horse-drawn hearse
in the parade.
Ray had grown up on his parent's farm in Oregon Twp in the 1920's and was no doubt
familiar with handling horses.
The Starke County Historical Society would like to identify the men in this photo thought
to have been taken during the 1950 County Centennial.
The men appear to be members of the Knox VFW Post, although some state dignitaries
may also be present.
The view seems to be looking west along Washington Street in Knox toward Main.
This photo of an unknown gentleman was taken during Starke County's Centennial
celebration in 1950. Evert's Drug Store on Main Street in Knox is in the background.
The celebration was a week long event that began on Sunday July 16th and ended on
Saturday July 22nd.
Sunday was filled with county choir performances, a Centennial Sermon,
Congregational singing, followed by a Veterans Drum & Bugle contest.
Monday was Health, Toto & English Lake Day.
Tuesday was Agricultural, Grovertown & Hamlet Day.
Wednesday was Veterans, Ober & Ora Day.
Thursday was Youth, Bass Lake & Koontz Lake Day.
Friday was Governor, North Judson & San Pierre Day.
Saturday was Homecoming & Starke County Day.
Starke County Courthouse
Starke County's second courthouse is shown in this photo after it was moved to the
northeast corner of Main and Mound Streets to make way for building our new
courthouse in 1897.
County officials decided to remove its brick wings rather than move them. It had
served our county government from 1863 to 1898. A contract had been awarded in
1858 to have it built for $9,000. But due to construction delays, it wasn't completed until
1863 at a reported cost of $20,000. It was eventually torn down in the early 1900's.
Starke County Officials of Yesteryear appear in a photo dated about 1912.
Left to Right, Back Row: Cyrenus Geisleman (Road Supt.), Sidney Childs (Recorder),
Abel Rea, James Fletcher, Henry Luken (Council), William Pentecost (Judge), Charles
Good (Surveyor) and Hugh Kreuter (Clerk); Middle Row; Charles Weninger (Auditor),
Peter Mosher (Commissioner), Fred Kingman (Commissioner), Lee Wolfe
(Commissioner), George Pettis (Sheriff), C.F. Dye (Agricultural Agent), J.W. Seagraves
(Custodian) and Carroll Cannon (Supt. of Schools); Front Row; Emma Schultz, Grace
Childs, Mrs. Dallas Solliday and Chloe Joseph.
A photo taken in 1901 shows Starke County's Officers at that time. The new courthouse,
which was dedicated in 1898, was only 3 years old. This photo was taken in Circuit
Court Judge George Beeman's courtroom on the 3rd floor. His framed portrait, which
now resides at the Starke County Museum, can be seen on the back wall.
Notice the ink bottles on the table. It would be another 34 years before the ball point pen
was invented. The courthouse was one of the first buildings in Knox to be built with
electrical lighting. Knox's first electrical power plant had been installed just one year
before the courthouse was finished. The desk and some of the chairs are still in use
within the courthouse. Although the courtroom has been remodeled, the same Seth
Thomas clock is used today.
From left to right: Alfred A. Savery, Surveyor; Henry E. White, Clerk; Jacob P. Quigley,
Recorder; George W. Harkins, Assessor; Wilbert A. Pierson, Treasurer; John W. Kurtz,
Auditor; Sidney A. Uncapher, Sheriff and J. Walter Dunn, School Superintendent.
Starke County School Board
The Indiana Legislature passed a set of laws in 1873 requiring the formation of a county
school board presided over by a county school superintendent. The members of the
county school board were the elected township trustees, who then elected the county
school superintendent.
The first superintendent under the new law was Alexander H. Henderson. He was a
doctor and is said to have had the first drug store in the county, as well. There had been
six county school "examiners" prior to Dr. Henderson dating back to 1861.
Starke County discontinued the county board of education system in the mid-1960's
after the rural township schools had been consolidated.
J. Allen Barr was the County School Superintendent from 1918 to 1929 and is shown
seated in the center of this undated photo of the Starke County Board of Education.
Starke County Trust & Savings
A bank has been located at 20 North Main Street in Knox for nearly a century.
The first bank at this particular location was known as Starke County Trust & Savings
Bank and is shown in this photo. It was built around 1915.
At that time, the Farmers State Bank was just a few buildings to the south, where Starke
County Development Foundation is located today. That bank had been organized in
1892. In 1932, the two banks merged to form Farmer's Bank & Trust Company. Some
have said the merger took place in the middle of the night, so as not to alarm depositors
during the Great Depression.
Many residents will remember the large sign, with a clock and thermometer that hung
over the sidewalk at this same location through the 1950's and 60's. Today, this location
is home to Keybank.
Steele’s Restaurant
Steele‟s Restaurant & Bakery was located at 9 North Main Street in downtown Knox in
the early 1900‟s. Bread and other goods were delivered by horse-drawn wagon to both
local restaurants and residents.
A sign in the windows advertises Ice Cream Sodas for 5 cents and Grapes for 10 cents
per pound. A shoe shop is located down the outside steps in the basement. Slidinger‟s
Barber Shop had been located in this basement in 1906 before moving to the Fitz Hotel.
The Isfort Building, now the home of O‟s Tap, has a unique architectural style.
Studebaker & Courthouse
The 1947 Studebaker Champion was the first totally new postwar (WWII) American car.
The design was very different from other cars that year leading some to say you couldn't
tell the front from the back. It was powered by an 80 horsepower, 169 cubic inch,
flathead six cylinder engine. Automobile manufacturing had been suspended during
WWII, and in 1946 all auto manufactures simply ran limited production based on their
prewar models.
Mrs. Mildred Coffin is shown standing beside the completely new 1947 model. Carl and
Mildred Coffin owned the Studebaker dealership, which was located at Washington and
Pearl Streets. Later it became Glen Kay Motors and, today, is home to Fingerhut
Bakery.
Farther back on the courthouse lawn, the Grumman F4F Wildcat that had been donated
to Starke County can be seen. It resided there for some years until it was relocated to
the Knox High School. The Wildcat was an aircraft carrier fighter plane and featured fold
up wings, a 320 mph speed and six 50 caliber machine guns. This was one of 7,860
made during the early part of WWII. It had been flown into South Bend on its own power
by Jack Sumner and trucked down to Knox.
Swartzell Home
The Swartzell residence in Knox is shown in this 1906 photo taken by Sigmund Klopot,
as if just in time for today's holiday season. Aris Wilson (A.W.) Swartzell built this home
sometime before 1895 at the northwest corner of Washington & Heaton Streets. It was
said to be the first modern residence in Knox and had running water, bath, toilet and
electric lights. Once their daughters married and left home, the Swartzell's took in
roomers, one of which was a young bachelor named Henry F. Schricker.
A.W. Swartzell was born in Washington Twp in 1860 at a time when most of the Starke
County was a wilderness. In 1876, young A.W. organized the first band & orchestra in
the county. He served as its leader for another 30 years. In 1887, he took over his
father's general store at the southeast corner of Lake & Main Streets; a store his father
had opened back in 1871. In 1898, he organized the first telephone company in the
county. It was located on this general store's 2nd floor. That store was last home to
Frazier's Trading Post and was taken down in 2004. It may have been the oldest
building in downtown Knox.
Today, the former Swartzell residence is home to M.C. Smith Funeral Home.
Taitel & Sons
Taitel & Sons Garment Factory was located at 12 S. Prettyman Street in Knox.
Isaac (Ike) Taitel came to America from the Kingdom of Poland, which was part of
Russia in 1887 at the age of 11. The family settled in Chicago, where Isaac worked his
way up through the garment industry.
In 1928, he moved to Knox with his wife, Celia, sons, Frank, Louie, Martin and
daughter, Rebecca. He took over an old raincoat factory on Prettyman Street and
proceeded to turn it into a very profitable pants factory.
The business expanded during the 1940's, and other plants were added around Indiana.
Later, this facility was home to the John Deere dealership, and most recently, it was
home to Tri-R-Inc.
Thurman’s Garage
S. C. Thurman‟s Buick Garage was located in Knox on Main Street immediately north of
the Moose Lodge. This photo was taken around 1920, when the definition of a “paved
road” meant it was a gravel road.
Besides selling and repairing Buicks, Thurman also sold Mobil gasoline and oil under
the “Gargoyle” logo. In the 1930‟s, the Pegasus (Flying Horse) replaced the Gargoyle as
Mobil‟s logo. The gas pump out front was known as a “blind” curb pump, because the
customer could not see for sure how much gas he was buying. Later in the 1920‟s, most
pumps had a clear glass container at the top with bold gallon markers. Other signs on
the building advertise Columbia Dry Cells and Red Seal Dry Batteries, which were used
at that time for auto ignition and starting, as well as early telephones.
The Yellow River Lodge of the Odd Fellows was located on the 2 nd floor. The nameplate
indicates the building was built in 1908. Later the building was home to Eichstaedt‟s
Chevy and Cadillac dealership. The building was destroyed by a mysterious explosion
in 1971.
Underground Knox
During the sidewalk repairs
undertaken in June of 2000, a
rare glimpse was offered into
downtown Knox's past. Different
stories and even legends have
been told of underground tunnels
under Knox's Main Street. Some
have said the tunnels were part
of the "Underground Railroad".
Others said the tunnels extended
to Plymouth and beyond. But the
truth of the matter is they were
simply turn of the '"last" century
sidewalk entrances to the
basements under the stores built
along Main Street. They were
built in the late 1890's and early
1900's many years after the
Underground Railroad and Civil
War.
This photo was taken by Jim
Shilling during the repair work
looking south in front of the old
Falvey Department Store (now
Hanselman's). The iron grates in
the photo were built into the
sidewalks above and had colorful glass inserts that allowed light to filter down below.
Some of them are on display at the Starke County Historical Museum. The iron stairway
allowed access to several stores along the west side of Main Street. The landing at the
top of the stairway connected to another stairway going down the opposite side. Cigar
stores, billiard rooms and barber shops occupied some of these basements. Around
1906, Slidinger's operated a barber shop in the basement of the Isfort building just north
of this view. Some of these sidewalk basement entrances were used well into the
1950's. All, except for the one under the old Green Drug Store, were filled in during the
sidewalk repair project in the summer of 2000.
Vanderweele’s Department Store
A photo circa 1904 shows Vanderweele's Department Store on Main Street in
downtown Knox. The store on the left was built by Peter Vanderweele. Peter, his wife
Jennie and daughter Eva are standing in the doorway. Today the building has been
refaced and is home to The Leader and Dad's Garage Door.
The building on the right was built by his brother, Jacob and is now home to Starke
County WIC. A sign in its window says "The Hub Clothing Store". A sign in the second
floor window says "Nichols Lawyer Notary Public". The glass case between the two
stores displays a selection of turn of the century lady's hats.
The sidewalk is two feet or more higher than the street and has a set of steps. This may
have been to allow easier unloading of material from wagons. Painted and barely visible
along its length is a sign that says "Vanderweele Bros. Department Store". The brother's
parents had come to America from Holland around 1846.
Wilhelm’s Grocery Store
William J. Wilhelm opened a dry goods and grocery Store in 1896 in downtown Knox at
8 South Main Street. A horse-drawn wagon was used to pick up and deliver
merchandise.
This was before very many of the streets had been paved with brick. Later this same
building was home to Wilken & Musser's Grocery.
Wilken & Musser – D & B Bowling
A 1947 photo shows Wilkin & Musser's Grocery Store and Fulton's D & B Recreation
Room in downtown Knox. Independent Biker Association now occupies the former
grocery store.
Rainbow Video is located where D & B Recreation once offered fountain service,
bowling and billiards to young people in the 1940's.
To the right is the Majestic Theater, where a Charlie Chan movie is being advertised.
All three autos are pre-war models. The nicely polished one to the far left is an
Oldsmobile. License plates at that time were six numbers, without any special prefix.
William Wallace Garner
William Wallace Garner will be recognized as Starke County‟s Last Civil War Veteran in
a special program that will be held Saturday afternoon, September 20, 2008 at 1:00
P.M. at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Knox. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War,
David D. Porter Camp, will conduct the ceremony and will be assisted by Ed Hasnerl
and Marvin Allen.
Mr. Garner, who was born in 1847, attended grammar school in Knox and enlisted at
the age of 17 in Company D 29th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. This unit was
engaged mainly in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
After the war, Mr. Garner returned to Knox, tried his hand at operating a general store
known as the Bee Hive and then established The Enterprise, a forerunner to the Starke
County Republican newspaper. Upon selling the newspaper, he joined the railroad and
worked in their mail department in Chicago for many years. Later in life Mr. Garner
moved back to Knox and took up residence at the Home Hotel.
Each Veterans Day, Mr. Garner would march down to Crown Hill Cemetery and say a
few words. Soon it became expected, and local residents looked forward to his
presence. Mr. Garner made his last march July 4, 1940 and passed away just 3 months
later at nearly 93 years of age. Uncle Billy, as he was known to everyone, is buried in
the old section at Crown Hill with many of his fellow Civil War Veterans.
Windisch Grocery Wagon
A horse drawn grocery delivery wagon from the turn of the last century: Charles
Windisch grew up on his parent‟s farm just south of the Yellow River on 500 East. Part
of the farm is now the east half of Crown Hill Cemetery.
Charles entered the grocery business as a young boy, first as a helper, then as a
partner. After serving in the Spanish American War, he started his own grocery store in
the late 1890‟s. It was located on Main Street in Knox in the location later occupied by
the Knox Furniture Store.
Charles did his own butchering, using ice from the Yellow River bayous to keep the
meat cold in the store‟s cooler. It was said this horse knew the route so well that it would
automatically go on to the next stop by itself and wait, if the delivery boy was delayed.
This picture was probably taken around 1910. The street is not yet paved and has deep
ruts.
Charles retired from the grocery business in 1936. Sears Roebuck then used the store
for some years, prior to the Knox Furniture Store. Pioneer Florist recently bought the
part that was originally the Windisch Grocery Store.
Windisch, William
William Frederick Windisch joined the Union
Army in 1864. At the time, he was 34 years
old, married with four children and living in
Ohio. A cabinetmaker and farmer, he had
come to America from Wurtenberg,
Germany in 1853. William was recognized
for "distinguished service" for his
participation in numerous battles in Virginia
and West Virginia during the Civil War.
Sometime in the 1870's, the Windisch family
moved to Starke County and established a
farm just east of Knox. Later, William
donated part of the family farm to the Crown
Hill Cemetery Association.
His son Charles was Captain of Indiana's
Company A, 157th Regiment during the
Spanish American War. After that war,
Charles opened a grocery store in Knox and
was later an officer of Starke County
Building & Loan.
William's grand-daughter was long-time school teacher, Frances Windisch Myers, who
taught at Ober, Center and Knox schools.
Yellow River Bridge
This photo shows the first metal bridge that was built across the Yellow River north of
Knox on what is now US 35. It was built in 1881 and appears to be a “Pratt Through
Truss” style bridge, which was popular during Indiana‟s iron bridge building boom in the
late 1800‟s.
Before that time, Heaton Street (US 35) stopped short of the river and did not cross it.
The entrance to Knox from the north was actually Bridge Street, which is the same
street we use today to enter Wythogan Park. An 1876 map shows much of what is now
the park was actually an island bounded by separate streams of the Yellow River,
requiring two separate bridges. Those earlier bridges were no doubt constructed of
wooden beams and prone to wash outs.
This bridge would have been quite a local attraction when it was built in 1881.
Zingo Gas Station
A photo taken back in the 1950's shows a familiar landmark - the Zingo gas station on
South Heaton Street in Knox.
Notice that the price of a gallon of gas was 26 cents. It wasn't uncommon for a young
man to pull up and ask the attendant to put in a dollar's worth or maybe two if the
weekend was coming up. That included getting your oil checked and your windows
cleaned.
Walt Allen and Del Bowman opened the station around 1946 and ran it for more than 50
years.
Notice there are 3 pump islands. That was unusual at that time. Walt and Del
specialized in selling lots of gasoline. Zingo was actually a brand of gasoline sold in
several other places around Starke County, including R.B. Walter's Grocery Store in
Ora.
Chapter 8 – North Bend Township
Cappis Store, Ora
A photo dated 1928 shows Harrison H. Cappis standing in front of his hardware store in
Ora.
Mr. Cappis also sold Linco gasoline (now Marathon) from a pair of gravity fed glass top
pumps. Back then you bought gas for your car by the gallon. These were hand-operated
pumps. A large lever on the side was used to manually pump gasoline up into the glass
top.
Once you had the number of gallons you wanted to buy in the glass top, indicated by
numbers on its side, a hose and nozzle was used to drain the gas down into your car's
tank by gravity.
Ora was established in 1881, and at one time, contained two general stores, a hardware
store, a drug store, ice cream parlor, school, two churches, barber shop, grain elevator,
blacksmith, cheese factory, pickle factory, several saloons and a dance hall.
Dredge
Few things have changed the face of Starke County more than floating dredges like the one shown in this
photo. Before their arrival in the 1890's, it was not unusual for much of Starke County to sometimes be
under water. The higher sand hills took on such names as White Woman's Island, Grape Island and
Jackson Island. Early settlers talked of rowing boats from places like Brems and Hamlet to Knox. Winter
actually made getting around easier, because the settlers could walk on the ice.
Back in 1904, there were seven of these huge machines working on re-routing the Kankakee River in
Starke County. They varied in size. Some required as many as ten men. Most employed a cook, as the
men lived and stayed on the dredge boat. A local newspaper article tells of the men loosing even their
Sunday clothes when one caught fire. One of the dredge owners built a hotel boat for the men that
followed the dredge.
These machines were powered by steam engines, which required a constant supply of coal delivered by
teams of horses. A row boat was towed behind. It was used to take supplies and workers to and from the
dredge. Blacksmiths making repairs would have been frequent visitors.
The dredges had no means of moving themselves other than using their bucket to pull the entire rig
forward as necessary. Outriggers called "spuds" were extended to the banks to stabilize the machines.
Depending on the width and depth to be excavated, dredges could move as fast as 500 feet in a day or
as little as a mile a month.
Once a job was completed, the dredge was taken apart, loaded on a railroad car and transported to the
next job. This might have been several states away, as these rigs were owned by large companies.
This photo belongs to Paul Sellers, grandson of Joseph Sellers standing to the left in the picture. If you
look carefully to the lower left, you will see that this dredge is working its way through new soil.
Horner
School
The Horner School is one of a handful of century old one room schools still standing in
Starke County. This photo was taken 100 years ago in 1904, when the new one-room
brick school was dedicated. It is located in the county’s south-east corner where 750 S
and 1100 E intersect in North Bend Twp.
The Horner School was 1 of the 6 schools located in North Bend Twp in those days.
State law said that a child should not have to walk more than 2 miles to school, so each
township usually had a school every 4 miles.
The Horner School was used at least until 1926 and had 13 students that school year.
The history of a school in that location goes all the way back to 1852 when a log cabin
was used as the first school, and William Chapman was the first teacher.
The person on the far right in the photo is J. Water Dunn, Starke County School
Superintendent. Standing with him are all of North Bend Twp’s teachers for the 1904
school term.
North Bend High School
North Bend High School was built in 1912 at a cost of $8,000. It was located at the
southwest corner of 850 E and 625 S. on the site of the old Center Church.
A one-room school, known as the Center School, had previously been located a half
mile north on 850E.
The first teachers at the new school were Harry Elder (Principal), Mabel Copp, Charles
Hatfield and Minnie Chidister. The first graduates were Rosa Rock, Ray Bennett and
Harry Doyle.
Although High School was discontinued in 1931, the first eight grades were taught there
until the 1950s. At that time, North Bend residents voted to become part of the Culver
School System. The building was demolished in the late 1960s.
North Bend Township Basketball Team
This photo of North Bend School's 7th and 8th Grade basketball teams was taken in
1953. The school was located about 2 miles south-east of Bass Lake at the corner of
CR 625 S. and CR 850 E.
The 2 story brick building had been built as a high school in 1912 for $8,000 replacing
several 1 room schools in the township. It had an outside metal fire escape chute, which
must have fascinated the more adventurous boys.
In 1928 it was operating as a 3 Year high school. Shortly thereafter it offered education
only up through the 8th grade with grades 9 - 12 transferred to Knox. Later North Bend
Twp was attached to Culver Community Schools and the building demolished.
By jersey number: (1) Ned Herr, (2) Bobby Kachloch, (3) Don William, (4) Hawley
Shidler, (5) Butch Engel, (6) Paul Howard, (7) John Howard, (8) Donny Herr, (9) Larry
Dolohan and (10) Ervin Casper. Mr. B.R. Lambert is the teacher and Mr. Cecil Cappis is
the township trustee.
Ora Depot
In 1882, the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad built its railroad line through Starke County. It
passed through Lomax, North Judson, Aldine, Bass Station and Ora. Later this railroad
was organized as the Erie.
The photo probably dates from the 1920’s, based on several Model A’s in the
background. One sign reads “Western Union Telegraph & Cable Office”. Another reads
“Erie Rail Road”. A sign on the building to the far right says “Pickles”. Note the double
tracks and the spur running to the grain elevator.
Our best guess is that the gentleman on the left is the ticket master, while the one on
the right is a railroad agent.
Ora School
The Ora school was built in 1902 at a cost of $4,000. In its early years it offered 3 years
of high school up through 1931, but later offered elementary education up through the
8th grade.
This former school building is one of a handful of school buildings still standing a
century later. In 1961, Ora students were consolidated into the Culver School System.
The town of Ora, which had a population of 300 in 1915, was originally platted in 1882
when the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad (Erie) was built through Ora, Aldine, North Judson
and Lomax.
In days gone by, Ora had as many as 3 grocery stores, 2 churches, a drug store, a
cheese factory, a pickle factory, an ice cream parlor, a newspaper, 3 saloons, 2 dance
halls, 2 doctors and a post office (which exists to this day).
Ora School
A "new" brick school was built at Ora in 1902 for $4,000. It replaced an older wood
frame school. This photo of the students at that new school is in the Historical Society's
collection, but the year and children are unknown.
Sellers Family
Joseph Sellers moved to North Bend Twp, Starke County in the early 1880's. He
married Emma Casper on February 23, 1884. She was the daughter of Jacob and
Elizabeth Casper, also of North Bend Twp.
Joseph worked on one of the steam powered dredges used to straighten the rivers and
dig the larger ditches throughout Starke County in the late 1800's. He died in 1909 when
a steam boiler exploded.
Joseph and Emma's nine sons and daughters are shown in this photo taken in 1918.
From left to right and oldest to youngest: Frances "Effie" Cooper, Grover, Olivia Pagel,
Samuel, Edna Beauchamp, Joseph "Guy", Emma Doyle, Meredith and Leona Earhart.
Williams’ Homestead
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Sterling and Ada Williams' farm was located in
North Bend Township along CR 450 S just east of CR 1000 E. They called it the
Cottage Grove Farm.
Sterling had been born in a log cabin on this same farm in 1854. His parents, Joshua
and Jane Williams had moved to the farm back in 1852. They had come to Starke
County by wagon with a group of other pioneers from southern Indiana. Here they
hewed their homes out of the wilderness.
At that time there were no roads in Starke County and travel was possible only by using
the higher sand ridges. Manitou Lake, a lake about the size of Bass Lake, was located
about a mile south-east of their farm. This lake, now forgotten, was drained and
converted to farmland over 100 years ago.
While the Williams had no children of their own, they took in the orphan, John Martin,
shown with them.The photo is dated around 1915.
Chapter 9 – North Judson
American Oak
American Oak Preserving was started in North Judson in 1916 by Frederick and Charlie
Vorm. To our knowledge, American Oak is the oldest manufacturing firm in Starke
County.
This photo is dated 1922 and shows boxes labeled red, brown and green oak. There
may be other colors. The boxes appear to be bound for Philadelphia. Notice the hand
crank on the front of what appears to be a Ford Model T truck.
The only person identified in this picture is Art Wobith. He is standing 2nd from the right.
Our thanks to Doreen (Wobith) Matzat for sharing this interesting photo.
Burch’s Opera House
Burch's Opera House was built in the 1880's, by Jacob Burch, a Polish immigrant. It
was located in downtown North Judson at the south corner of Main and Lane Streets. At
the time, it was the largest hall on the railroad line between Chicago and Lima, Ohio.
This photo is dated around 1918.
The business on the left on the first floor is John's Place, advertising soft drinks,
candies, cigars and Beechnut gum. On the first floor right side, The Model advertises
Uncle Tom's Cabin. To the right side, the Isis advertises a vaudeville comedy called The
Mischief Makers, which was playing in the opera house upstairs on the second floor.
Burch's Hall was the scene of a prize boxing match of national significance in 1888. It
was here that Jack McAuliffe of Brooklyn, NY and Billy Myer of Streator, IL fought their
famous draw of 64 rounds, lasting 4 hours and 16 minutes. Jack was the lightweight
champion of the world. The referee came to the conclusion after 64 brutal rounds that
the fight should be declared a draw.
Gayble Theater
This photo of the Gayble Theater in North Judson was taken in the early 1960's. This
unique and very recognizable theater had been built around 1926. It was described as
"Indiana's Most Beautiful Small Town Theater" and had been owned the Woytinek
family of North Judson for many years.
Some of the movies that no doubt played at the Gayble would have been the silent
version of Ben Hur in the 1920's, King Kong in 1933, The Wizard of Oz in 1939,
Casablanca in 1942, It's A Wonderful Life in 1946, Singin' In The Rain in 1952,
Hitchcock's Vertigo in 1958, Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, The Godfather in 1972 and
Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981.
After some years of being vacant, the Gayble was finally demolished in 1999. Today the
location is a vacant lot. Earlier, the Hippodrome Theater, which was located on the east
side of Lane Street, was the place to see silent movies in North Judson. The
Hippodrome may have started out by running Nickelodeon shows.
Great Supply House
The "Great Supply House of Starke County" was built at the northwest corner of Main
and Lane Streets in North Judson in 1895. Many of their items were purchased by the
railroad carload. One sign says "We Sell Merchanise of Every Description". Other signs
advertise boots, shoes, dry goods, furniture and bedding. Another sign says "We Can
Sell Your Produce".
A handpump and water tank for horses can be seen on the far left. One man is leaning
against what appears to be a coal oil street lamp. Notice all the 46 star US flags. This
would date the photo to sometime before 1912, when Arizona and New Mexico were
added as states. We would suspect this photo was taken during a town wide celebration
of either Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
Some of the men thought to be in this photo: Joseph Sindelar, John Kurtz, Perry
McCormick, Ben Weninger, Julius Dunsing, Paul Joop, and William Ricker.
Later Hopp and Wobith operated a store in this same building. It was then known as
Hopp's Store. Sometime before 1924 a fire destroyed the building. By 1933 a service
station had been built on the lot. It was known as Hank's Standard Oil in the 1960's.
Hotel Transit
Hotel Transit was located on the west side of Lane Street in downtown North Judson. It
was just north of the Neupert Building at Lane and Sycamore Streets. Signs in the
windows show the office on the left and a parlor on the right.
A group of businessmen may be in town for a meeting. Their license plate says IND but
does not have a year. This should date the photo to sometime before 1913 when
Indiana started providing license plates. Before that time each auto owner was required
to make their own license plate using the numbers provided to them on a small tag.
Hotel Transit was demolished by 1924 and was home to the Gayble Theater by 1933.
Jones Street Scene
This photo, dated about 1911, shows North Judson tourists in their Whiting Automobile.
The Corbitt House on Jones Street in North Judson is in the background.
The Whiting was only produced from 1910 - 1912 in Flint, Michigan by Flint Wagon
Works. Prior to Indiana issuing its first license plate in 1913, each owner was expected
to make their own license plate using the numbers given them by the state. The C6-75
IND plate hanging from the front bumper on this car would have been homemade.
This photo was scanned from a glass negative taken by Dr. George Corbitt, an early
North Judson dentist. At this time, concrete sidewalks are evident. but the streets are
still unpaved.
Keller Street Home
The Starke County Historical Society is seeking information about this photo. It may
have been taken around 1910 or before. "North Judson Home" is written on the back.
Notice the wood plank sidewalk suggesting it was probably located in town. The yard is
well landscaped and even has a fountain. Back then some homes in town had their own
windmill for pumping water. Most homes in town also had a barn or stable for their
horse and buggy. Many even kept a cow or two for milk and cream.
Lane & Sycamore Streets
A view looking north-west from the intersection of Lane and Sycamore Streets in
downtown North Judson shows the Neupert General Store, a barber shop, a meat
market and the Hotel Transit. This photo was taken in the winter sometime around 1900
or before.
A wooden barber pole is visible at the edge of the board sidewalk and the dirt street.
Later the Neuperts built a two story brick building at this same location, which is still in
use today. The Gayble Theater was later built where Hotel Transit is shown in this
picture.
Standing in the doorway is owner Chris Neupert. On his right is Joe Sindelar. On his left
is Joe Dolezal. These are the "Two Joes" who later opened their own store in North
Judson. The Neuperts were cousins of former Governor Henry F. Schricker, who also
grew up in North Judson.
Lane Street
A photo dated about 1922 shows a new building being constructed at 310 Lane Street
in downtown North Judson.
It was to be the home of North Judson State Bank, which was consolidated in 1927
forming the American State Bank and now Fifth Third Bank.
The buildings to the right have been replaced by Ray's Super Foods. Dr. P.O. Englerth
had his office in the building to the left. More recently it was home to Weninger
Insurance.
Photo loaned from Art Wobith's photo album by Doreen Matzat.
Lane Street
A photo taken around 1930 shows downtown North Judson looking north from the
intersection of Main & Lane Streets.
On the left, NIPSCO had an office where Village Discount Store is now located. Pete's
Place advertising cigars, tobacco and soft drinks was next. A Chevy pickup truck waits
out front. Newer buildings have replaced the next two buildings on the left. Curley's
Barber Shop is in one of them. Mathews' 1909 building is still there and most recently
used as a place of worship. The next building at 218 & 219 Lane is currently being
renovated. The building on the corner with the turret is home to Pioneer Florists.
On the right side, the A & P grocery store used to be at 207 Lane. The next building is
an empty lot at present. Robert Howard has offices in the next building. There used to
be an early movie theater at this location. The large two-story building at the corner is
under renovation.
Methodist Church
The first Methodist Church in North Judson was built at the southwest corner of Lane
and Vine Streets in 1875. The building was enlarged in 1899 as shown in this photo.
Methodist settlers had arrived in the area now known as North Judson as early as 1851.
In those early years, a preacher traveled on horseback between Winamac, San Pierre,
North Judson and Knox holding services in log cabin homes and schools. He was
known as a Circuit Rider.
This building was sold in 1949, when a new larger church was built at Central and
Jones Streets.
Mosher’s General Store
A photo taken around 1910 shows Mosher's General Store in downtown North Judson.
The Moshers were among Starke County's earliest pioneer families having moved here
in the 1850's from Whitely Co., IN. This store was built sometime between 1895 and
1909. The view is looking northeast along the east side of Lane Street toward Central.
It appears that a farmer and his sons have brought watermelons into town on a horsedrawn wagon probably to trade for other necessities back on the farm.
The prominent building to the left was built sometime between 1902 and 1909 and is
featured in several early postcards of downtown North Judson. In its early days, it
contained a shoe store and a clothing store. Later it was a restaurant and had rooms for
rent upstairs. The smaller building between these two appears to have a wooden barber
pole out front. These buildings were present in North Judson at least through the mid1930's.
North Judson Catholic School
The St. Cyril & Methodius Catholic School was located at the southeast corner of Adair
and Keller Streets in North Judson. It was built in 1910-1911 at the same time as the
present church, just across the street to the north.
The first Catholic families settled in North Judson around 1871. Services were held in
their homes and later North Judson's first hotel, the Central House. The first church, a
wood frame building, was built in 1881 on the same location as today's church.
In those early years, Father Dominic traveled from Wanatah by horse and buggy every
two weeks. Travel would have been very difficult. There were no early roads where
today's highways run. Instead, Father Dominic would have used an early trail that ran
between North Judson and English Lake and on to Wanatah.
North Judson City Band
For more than a century, North Judson has hosted a variety of local festivals. For 25
years, from 1906 to 1931, local businesses and citizens sponsored the annual AfterHarvest Jubilee. This was a fall festival, with exhibits of farm products, poultry, livestock
and baked goods.
Bands and floats were a special attraction. Hundreds of out of town visitors would take
the trains to North Judson to see the event. North Judson’s City Band is shown in this
picture dated 1924.
The town’s first brick school, which was located at the corner of Keller and Central and
built in 1896, is shown in the background.
North Judson Fire Department
The North Judson Fire Department was organized in 1889. One of their first purchases
that same year was a hand operated pumper. At first a bucket brigade would fill a barrel
or tub that the hand pumper drew water out of which was then pumped onto the fire.
Later wells were driven around town that the hand pumper attached to for its water
supply.
Around 1900 the department purchased what appears to be a steam powered pumper
shown in this photo. The pumper was often pulled to a fire by the firemen, as it would
have taken too long to hitch a team of horses.
On one occasion, the pumper was quickly loaded on a railroad flatcar and sent with a
crew to Knox to help with a fire that destroyed part of downtown Knox.
Pictured are Charlie Summers?, Henry Schricker, Manuel Knachel, Frank Eatinger,
Unknown and Joe Dolezal.
North Judson High School
The North Judson 9th Grade is shown in this photo dated 1925-1926. The picture was
taken at the front entrance to the new high school that had just been built in 1922.
North Judson High School
The North Judson High School Class of 1945 is shown in this photo.
From left to right, 4th row: Jack Bertucci, Joyce Webster, Marion Metzinger, Kathryn
Thompson, Betty Deckman, Corrine Bangert, Patricia Mosher, Hanna Fukan, Lorraine
Black, Ernest Whybrew and Frank Myers. 3rd row: Roy Heidel, Mary Vendl, Clarice
Klosinski, Mae Mathews, Doris Vanek, Polly Stacy, Irene Krecik, Eva Sullivan and
Lorraine Hanson. 2nd row: Lorraine Safraski, Blanche Smolek, Lillian Bobcek, Margaret
Osborn, Florence Murray, Betty Born and Carola Csiky. 1st row: Charles Ness, Robert
Medbourn, Don Capouch, Edward Dolezal, John Berg, Joseph Barkey, Homer
Perryman and Cecil Lucas.
Sponsors Miss Jasemine Bush and Mr. Stanley Cecrle.
North Judson High School Boys Basketball Team
Before they were called the Blue Jays, they were called the Blue Dogs. This picture of
North Judson's 1920 - 1921 basketball team was taken in front of the old high school
built in 1896. This 1921 team played their home games in Pickell's Hall in North Judson.
The coach is Julian Ray and the players are Claude Akers, Kenneth Deardorff, Louis
Donchin, Manuel Donchin, J.B. Hudson, Elvin Rust, Duane Schuyler and James Tyl.
The trophy may have been awarded during their District win at Rochester over
Monterey.
In 1922 the high school was expanded in size and a gymnasium was added for the first
time. That first gym seated 250 spectators. In 1927 the gym was doubled in size and
locker rooms added as high school athletics continued to grow.
In a shrewd move that same year, North Judson convinced Coach Guy B. Ingwell to
move from San Pierre to their school. It seems that under Coach Ingwell's leadership,
San Pierre had beaten North Judson during their 8 previous encounters.
North Judson High School Boys Basketball Team
North Judson's 1942 - 1943 Boys Basketball Team is pictured in this photo loaned to
the museum by Hanna Mlekodaj.
From left to right, back row: John Lemke, James Mathews, Carl Dunkelberger, Bernard
Mathews, Cyril Dolezal and Howard Williams (Coach); middle row: Norman Dalka,
Robert Lemke, Joseph Shewski, Homer Perryman and Mike Matuscak; front row:
Richard Vondrak (Manager).
North Judson Ladies Band
Back around 1920 or before, North Judson had a Ladies Band. We suspect this lady
was a member of that band, but her name is unknown.
North Judson School
In 1896, North Judson had the impressive new school shown in this 1917 photo built for
$9,611.75. The old frame school was sold to the town of North Judson for $389 and
used as their town hall. The school was commissioned by the State of Indiana in 1899
as Starke County's first full four year high school under the leadership of Supt. S.
Ragsdale. The first graduates were Sadie (Waddel) Doolittle. Audie (Horton) McCormick
and Lulu (Bybee) Dilts.
In 1922, the one-room Wayne Twp schools of Casey, Miciolek, Weninger, Marsh,
Brantwood and Douglas were consolidated into North Judson resulting in another
expansion.
In 1948, the North Judson - Wayne Twp School District was again enlarged to include
Jackson Twp and Pulaski County's Rich Grove Twp.
In 1964, the school district was further enlarged to include San Pierre, the Starke
County Townships of Railroad, Wayne, Jackson and part of California, as well as the
Pulaski County's Rich Grove and part of its Cass Twp and became known as the North
Judson - San Pierre School Corporation.
North Judson Teachers
A group of North Judson Teachers are shown in this photo dated 1919.
From left to right: Irma Haas (1918-1919), Esther Atherton (1915-1920), Charlotte
Arnold (1912-1919), Lois Craig Foust (Principal 1906-1921), unknown, Stella Klopot
Bonner (1917-1920), Margaret Altman (1916-1922), Florence Dilley and L. E. Johnson
(Superintendent 1918-1920).
This photo was probably taken by Stella's mother, Clara Klopot. Additional information
and corrections are always welcome.
North Judson Town Hall
A photo dated about 1918 shows North Judson's Town Hall, which was located at the
north-west corner of Central and Keller Streets.
It had been built in 1875 as a public school. When North Judson built a new school in
1896, it then became the Town Hall. In 1921, it became home to the Odd Fellows
Lodge.
The first school to be built in the vicinity of North Judson was built around 1851. It was
built of logs and located just west of North Judson along what is now SR 10. This was
prior to the existence of any sort of town. Soon the area was booming with railroads and
the new town of North Judson needed a better school. It was built in 1860 at the corner
of today's Schricker and Talmer Avenues. But, it wasn't long before the town also
outgrew that school and built the two-story one shown in this picture in 1875.
North Judson Water Works
North Judson's Water Works Department was established in 1921. The building shown
in this photo was soon built on Keller Avenue.
Initially, a basement storage tank was used to provide water to downtown users and a
few fire hydrants. It was pressurized with air, much like today's rural home systems. In
1954, a large above ground water tower was built that stored 125,000 gallons allowing
the mains to be extended to the growing community.
North Judson's Fire Department had been established earlier in 1889. But for the first 30
some years, water to fight fires was obtained from small driven wells on each property.
A bucket brigade would supply the water to the fire department's hand pumper.
The early buildings were of wood frame construction and heated by wood or coal
making chimney fires a frequent occurrence. Despite the original 1921 cost of $50,000,
the town-wide water system was a welcome addition.
.
This week’s photo is of the Penn RR Depot in North Judson and dates from the early
1920’s. This view of the depot is looking toward the northeast.
This portion of the Penn RR system was originally built as the Columbus, Chicago &
Indiana Central RR in 1857-1861. It ran from the Chicago area through La Crosse,
English Lake, North Judson and on down through Denham, Ripley and Winamac to
Logansport.
An early map shows the English Lake stop was first called “Mt. Olympus Station”,
another stop just northwest of North Judson was named “Brandtwood”, and another
stop at the Starke Pulaski County line was called “Schakopee”. Many immigrants that
settled in the western portions of Starke County in the 1800’s worked on this railroad,
including Henry F. Schricker’s father, Christopher.
Sautter’s Boot & Shoe Store
Christ Sautter's Boot & Shoe Store was located just south of Central Avenue on the east
side of Lane Street in downtown North Judson. This photo, dated about 1896, may
have been taken on the 4th of July, as the store is decorated with several flags. A
parade wagon waits to the right side with a banner that says "C. Sautter Boots &
Shoes".
Christ Sautter was born in Germany, where he learned the trade of shoemaking. He
came to America in 1881.
The three gentlemen standing in the center of the photo are left to right: Christ Neupert,
William Luken and Christ Sautter. Note the wood plank sidewalk and unpaved Lane
Street.
Schricker Family
Twice elected Indiana Governor Henry F. Schricker was born 121 years ago in North
Judson, Indiana. This photo of Henry’s father and mother was taken in 1885, when
Henry was 2 years old.
Left to right: Chris Schricker (Henry’s father), Catherine (from Magdelena’s first
marriage), Magdelena (Henry’s mother), Henry (on Magdelena’s lap) and William (from
Chris’ first marriage).
Both of Henry’s parents had lost their previous spouses to the hardships of those days
and had remarried. Chris Schricker had come to America from Bavaria in the 1860’s,
working for a number of years on the new railroads in Starke, Porter and La Porte
Counties, shoveling dirt, laying ties and spiking rails.
Then he invested his savings into a farm near North Judson. After a few years he
decided to buy a lot and build a general store on Main St. in North Judson, which he
operated for many years.
Watt’s Drug Store
A photo dated 1918 shows Watts Drug Store in downtown North Judson. It was located
between Sycamore and Central on the east side of Lane Street. Previously, it had been
Frank Eatinger's Drug Store.
During World War I, John H. Watts, a Spanish American War Veteran himself, donated
the use of his drugstore as a Red Cross workroom. There members of the North Judson
Auxiliary made pajamas, bed shirts, socks, robes and surgical dressings for the our men
fighting the war in Europe.
The lettering on the side of the building advertises cigars, wallpaper, paints, oils, books,
and magazines, besides drugs. Before becoming a pharmacist, Mr. Watts was a cigar
maker in Nappanee, IN.
Wobith Family
A photo loaned by Doreen Matzat of North Judson shows the Wobith family seated in
what appears to be their brand new 1911 Ford Model-T.
This model was known as a Touring Car. It featured a convertible top, left-hand steering
and a 20hp engine that got around 25mpg. The cannister on the running board
generated acetylene gas for the carbide headlights. The side lights and tail lights burned
kerosene. Notice the hand powered air horn. The price back in 1911 was $850. After
Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in 1913, the price for a Model-T dropped as
low as $300.
From left to right: Grandfather Otto, Uncle Edward, Arthur, Grandmother Ida, Aunt Elsie
and Aunt Ida. Doreen's father Arthur must have been thrilled to sit behind the wheel of
the new family car. Their home on W. Talmer Ave. is in the background.
Chapter 10 – Oregon Township
Anderson Hotel
The Anderson Hotel was located at Koontz Lake near the present marina. Emil
Anderson opened the hotel around 1915. He and his wife Emily operated it all through
the 1920s and 1930s.
Emil also owned 25 acres along the south side of the main lake known as the Anderson
Addition, where many of the first lake cottages were built.
Even earlier the property was owned by the Lake Grove Club, a sportsman's
organization that had a lodge along the lake.
Emil had immigrated to America from Sweden in 1890 and farmed for a few years in
Oregon Township before entering the hotel business. His hotel was a very popular
place during the "roaring twenties".
The hotel burned down in the 1940s and was replaced by a nightclub known as the
Caprio.
Burch, Dwight
A photo loaned to the museum by Warren Burch shows his father Dwight cultivating soy
beans around 1940 on the Gindleberger Farm northeast of Hamlet.
The tractor is a 1937 Minneapolis-Moline Model JT. The four cylinder gasoline engine
was rated at 14 drawbar horsepower. It was unusual to see tractors with four-row
cultivators back then. Most were two-row.
Note the unusual rubber tire treads. Rubber tired tractors were becoming fairly common,
but they were not yet accepted by all farmers in 1940.
Grovertown High School
Grovertown High School's graduating class of 1936 is shown in this photo.
Back row, left to right: Raymond Plake, Francis Huhnke, Frank McCay, Sigurd
Peterson, Lewes Goze, Roy Swanson and Melvin Blad; center row: William Finley,
Arthur Thompson, Kenneth Nelson, Charles H. Hinton (Principal), Merlin Dipert, Homer
Forsythe and Robert Heidorn; front row: Hazel Harness, Sara Buell, Alyse Gjemre, Ruth
Starr, Dorothy Awald, Sue Najmolovski and Eugena Kuklinski.
Grovertown was consolidated into the Oregon-Davis School Corporation in 1971.
Grovertown School
Grovertown's new school, officially known as Oregon Township District #3, was
dedicated on September 26, 1904. Samuel Koontz was the Trustee responsible for
overseeing its construction. The new school replaced a wood frame building that had
burned down in March of that same year.
The new school had four large rooms and was constructed of brick at a cost of $10,000.
Each room would have had one teacher teaching 2-3 grades. It was located at the
north-east corner of SR 23 and 500 N. In 1916, an addition was added for an additional
cost of $12,000 allowing Grovertown the status of a state commissioned high school.
Although a new grade school was built in 1953 a short distance north on SR 23, the
1904 school continued to be used as a high school for nearly 70 years until the present
Oregon-Davis High School was built.
Grovertown School
Your help is needed identifying the children and teacher in this historic photo of
Grovertown's first school.
It was a wood frame one-room school located at the northeast corner of SR 23 and 500
N. The US Flag appears to have a 44 star pattern. That would date it between 1891 and
1896. That was before Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona became states.
The larger, two-story brick school most of us remember in Grovertown was built in 1904
at the same location. Contact Marvin Allen at 772-5936, if you have any information
about this photo.
Grovertown School
Students and teachers at Grovertown's school are shown in this photo dated 1909.
Although we don't know for sure, some of the teachers in the photo should be Bertha
Abner, Olga Blumenthal, Coral Banks, Elsie Uncapher and Perry Uncapher. John
Nelson was the Oregon Twp Trustee and may also be in the picture.
Although a school at Grovertown dates back to the early 1860's, this building was built
in 1904 at the northeast corner of 500 N and SR 23 and included all twelve grades. It
was closed in 1971, when students were transferred to the new Oregon-Davis School.
Northstar
Mention Northstar, Starke County and even many long time residents are
puzzled. But Northstar was indeed platted as a town on December 12, 1891
in section 6 Oregon Twp.
Attorney Henry Robbins had ten lots laid out on 33 foot streets and sold them to his
friends and associates who were in favor of constructing a large ditch across Davis Twp
to the Kankakee River. In this way, he was able to get enough property owner
signatures to successfully petition the courts to allow the ditch to be built.
The idea was to drain the swampy areas and convert them to fertile farm land. Robbins
Ditch, as it became known, was very controversial and had been the subject of
numerous law suits prior to that time.
A few years after the ditch was built, Northstar, including another 600 acres or so, was
sold to Bradley Polytechnic Institute in Peoria. IL. They may have used the land as a
field site for their biology program. It remained in their hands for nearly 40 years.
In reality, Northstar existed only on paper and shows up only on this 1898 map and a
1901 map of the county. It would have been located on the east side of 600E about 1/4
mile north of 800N.
Palm Sunday Tornado
A photo taken by Jim shilling April 11 (Palm Sunday), 1965 shows a home and auto
completely destroyed along SR 23 in Oregon Township.
The Palm Sunday tornado outbreak is the second biggest outbreak on record and the
deadliest in Indiana history. Forty-seven confirmed tornadoes hit the Midwest. It all
began at 12:45 P.M. in Iowa and lasted eleven hours. The path of destruction was 450
miles west to east and 200 miles north to south.
At the time a public warning system was not in place. A study of the aftermath resulted
in the establishment of the official Tornado Watch and the Tornado Warning procedures
in use since 1965.
This historic railroad photo shows the Penn RR depot in Grovertown around 1910. This
railroad was originally built as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad in 1856
through the northern part of Starke County.
The Grovertown Depot was similar to other small depots built along its tracks, such as
Davis Station, built where it crossed the Kankakee River on the west side of the county.
This RR was the second line built through Starke County and in 1858 finally connected
Chicago with Philadelphia. In those days, the 153 mile Indiana section was known as
the “race track” because it was very straight and level. By World War I, the track carried
26 passenger trains daily. By the end of World War II, the line was running 32 trains
daily. Today the line is used by Norfolk Southern as an alternative freight route between
Chicago and Fort Wayne.
Uncapher’s Store
William and Jose Uncapher's Store and Hotel in Grovertown was located on the east
side of what is now S.R. 23 just north of the railroad tracks. This was before old U.S. 30
was built in 1927.
At the time of this photo, there was no road that ran along the RR tracks between
Hamlet and Grovertown and on to Plymouth. Jose ran the hotel and was a seamstress,
as well. This wooden building was later replaced by a two-story brick building at the
same location. It also served as their residence.
When the new four-lane U.S. 30 was built in 1960, the brick building was moved north
of Grovertown along the west side of S.R. 23.
Chapter 11 – Railroad Township
Ben Hur Boat
A photo taken around 1912 shows a scene at English Lake. Dr. George and Mary
Corbitt are sitting in the middle of the boat with their daughter Mary Margaret. They are
joined by a few other friends.
George Corbitt was an early dentist in North Judson, who enjoyed relaxing at English
Lake. He was also an amateur photographer who developed his own pictures.
Mr. and Mrs. William Hines are standing on the pier. William Hines’ father William was a
master carpenter and built the "Ben Hur" boat shown to the lower left.
Legend has it that he built this boat while his friend, Lew Wallace, wrote part of his
book, Ben Hur, at English Lake. However, Lew Wallace had published Ben Hur twenty
some years before the boat was built. It may be that Lew Wallace, a frequent visitor to
the area, was working on another of his books while the boat was being built. The boat
is now on display at the Starke County Museum in Knox.
Green Island can be seen behind the Hines to the right side. Looking west, the C&O RR
bridge can be seen in the background. This was the second railroad built through
English Lake. It was built in 1902 and is known today as the Chesapeake and Indiana
Railroad.
English Lake Saloon
In a scene reminiscent of the frontier west, August Luken's saloon in English Lake is
shown in a picture dated about 1892. His saloon, one of three, was situated on the east
side of the railroad tracks. This view is looking north-east, with the Kankakee River
partially visible in the background. A wood sign advertises Lager from the Peru Brewery.
August Luken is shown standing with his arms crossed. His children from left to right
are; Nettie, Fred and Anna. His wife, Louiza, is not shown. The Lukens came to
America from Germany around 1880.
English Lake was one of the first communities in Starke County, being located where
the railroad, which was built in 1857, crossed the Kankakee River.
This little town was a key shipping point for the Grand Kankakee Marsh, one of the
largest hunting and fishing paradises in the world in those days. Thousands of game
birds and pelts were shipped to Chicago every week.
All of this changed as the marsh was drained and converted to farmland in the early
1900's.
House Boat
Your first thought upon seeing this picture might be "how did that barn end up in the
ditch?”. But we believe this really was a house boat used by a dredging crew for
sleeping and eating.
Some of the large steam powered dredging machines would tow a house boat behind
like this one. Work continued around the clock as long as there was enough daylight or
moonlight to see. A full time cook was onboard and prepared meals for the workers.
Most Starke County's ditches were dug between 1890 and 1915. The Kankakee and
Yellow Rivers were also straightened and dredged during those years. This photo is
dated 1905 and was taken somewhere along one of those two rivers near English Lake.
Kingman’s Store
Ralph and Hattie Kingman are standing in front of their general store on Eliza Street in
San Pierre in the 1920's. The store was expanded in the 1950's and today is home to
the San Pierre Post Office.
Ralph also held positions as Starke County Treasurer, Railroad Township Trustee and
was Vice-President of the Bank of San Pierre for more than 30 years.
Hattie played the organ at church, as well as the piano for a silent movie theater in
North Judson. Hattie's parents, Ed and Rosa Brown, were among the founders of the
St. Luke United Church of Christ in San Pierre back in 1891.
Mr. Kingman was one of several San Pierre businessmen who pursued six bank
robbers out of town in 1932.
Rennewanz General Store
Leonard Rennewanz came to America from West Prussia in 1883 and settled in San
Pierre. Soon he opened a general store, where he also sold Shawnee and Phenix Fire
Insurance.
Leonard was the Railroad Township Trustee for three terms and was instrumental in
quickly rebuilding San Pierre's High School in 1923 after a devastating fire.
Daughters Martha and Meta and son George are shown in this 1908 photo. One of the
signs says "Chew J.T. Plug - Save The Tags". Another says "Dr. Price's Cream Baking
Powder". When Mr. Rennewanz sold the business in 1924, this building became the
post office. He then served as San Pierre Postmaster for the next sixteen years.
Rennewanz, Martha and Meta
A photo dated 1912 shows Martha and Meta Rennewanz of San Pierre in a buggy
hitched to their horse Judd.
Meta had attended Valparaiso University to prepare for teaching. She taught all eight
grades in a one-room school at Lomax, Indiana, which is about four miles northeast of
San Pierre on the Kankakee River.
Lomax, then also known as Kankakee Station, was an important center for Standard
Oil. They maintained a large pumping station at Lomax for a pipeline that ran into the
Chicago area. Several historical brick buildings there have been noted by the Historic
Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
As was typical in those days, Meta boarded with a local Lomax family during the week
and returned to live with her parents on weekends by horse & buggy. Today, this might
require a ten minute car ride.
San Pierre Evangelical Union Church
The Evangelical Union Church was organized in San Pierre around 1880 by West
Prussian (German) immigrants. Among them were the Schmidt, Weinkauf and Will
families.
Many of these early settlers are buried in the Evangelical Society Cemetery, which is
located two and a half miles northwest of San Pierre.
A circuit preacher tended to the church, as well as other Evangelical Churches at
Medaryville and Wanatah. The church became the Evangelical United Brethren (E.U.B.)
Church in 1946, when their parent organization merged with Church of the United
Brethren in Christ.
The San Pierre E.U.B. Church dissolved in 1967, with most members joining San
Pierre's St. Luke United Church of Christ. The former E.U.B. Church is still standing and
has been remodeled as a residence.
San Pierre School
A scene looking toward the east along the south side of Eliza Street in San Pierre
shows the public school that had been built in 1902 on the south side of the street.
This school burned down in 1923 and was rebuilt across the street on the north side.
This photo was probably taken some time after 1914, when most of the one-room
schools in Railroad Twp were consolidated into this school.
Note the horse-drawn school buses. Each one could carry up to 18 children. The All
Saints Catholic Church, built in 1886, can be seen just east of the school.
San Pierre High School
San Pierre's second high school is shown in this photo. It was built in 1923 at a cost of
$65,000.
The first high school, which had been built in 1902, burned down January 29, 1923.
Leonard Rennewanz had just assumed the duties of Railroad Township Trustee earlier
that month. It was his responsibility to find places to hold classes temporarily and to
quickly construct a new school. The school term was successfully completed while
holding classes in all three churches and a private home.
The new school was built on a hill on the north side of Eliza Street directly across from
the old school.
High School was discontinued in San Pierre after the 1964 graduating class with
students then transferred to North Judson.
San Pierre High School
San Pierre High School's 1936 Junior Class is shown in this photo.
Based on the 1937 graduating class, some of the students in this photo should be:
Ralph Hanke, Elanora Hankey, Martha Eckert, Helen Jones, Orvil Hartle, Vlasta Pilar,
Pearl Meyer, Rudolph Dolezal, June Tietz, Helen Zacek, Stanley Holub and Paul
Bochnicka.
San Pierre High School Boys Basketball Team
This photo of the 1923-1924 San Pierre Boy's Basketball Team was loaned to the
museum by Bill Wallace. It was taken in front of the high school that was built in 1921
and used until 1964. It was located on the north side of Eliza Street.
Today this is the site of a well kept town park. It had replaced a 2-story brick school built
in 1902 on the south side of the same street, which had burned down.
From left to right: back row; Guy B. Ingwell (coach); middle row; Cecil Schricker, Adolph
Jacobson, Al Kalinke and Elton Christensen; front row; Loyd Hanke, Doc Cesal and Bob
Batzka.
This may have been Mr. Ingwell's first year teaching and coaching, as he would have
been only 20 years old in this photo.
Later he coached and taught at North Judson High School in the 1930's. Eventually he
attended medical school and became a well known doctor in Knox.
Cecil Schricker was the son of Gov. Henry F. Schricker's half brother, Billy Schricker.
San Pierre State Bank
A photo taken around 1930 shows several businessmen standing in front of the San
Pierre State Bank. One of the men may be Cashier Thomas Daly.
The bank was located at the corner of Eliza and Broadway Streets in San Pierre. A sign
advertises 4% interest.
The bank was held up by bank robbers several times. In 1932, six armed men entered
the bank, took $3,000 and killed an innocent bystander. Local businessmen quickly
gave chase but lost the robbers in Valparaiso. Route 43 (now US 421) made for a quick,
although dusty, get away north out of town. It was not paved until later.
The bank was held up again in 1943 and again in 1944. That robber claimed to be the
infamous John Dillinger, but was really a local person from Monon.
In later years the bank was rebuilt, and in the 1970s became home to the San Pierre
branch of the Starke County Public Library.
Standard Oil Pumping Station
The Chicago & Atlantic (Erie) Railroad was built through North Judson in 1883. Soon
the communities of Ora, Bass Station, Aldine and Lomax sprang to life as stops along
the railroad.
In 1889, the Indiana Pipeline Company, owned by Standard Oil, laid an eight-inch
pipeline along the tracks from an oil field in Ohio up to a refinery in Whiting, Indiana.
They built a steam powered pumping station where the railroad and pipeline crossed
the Kankakee River in Railroad Township. It was known as Kankakee Station and
consisted of five brick buildings, a boiler house, pump house, gate/valve house,
telegraph office and a dormitory.
The railroad built a depot about a mile and a half to the southeast and called it Lomax
Station. The Lomax one-room school was built nearby.
Later, after the depot and school closed, the pumping station itself became known as
Lomax Station. The buildings have been well maintained and are listed by Historic
Landmarks Foundation of Indiana as excellent examples of Romanesque Revival style.
Interestingly, the refinery and pipelines were built to produce kerosene for lamps and
made John D. Rockefeller a multi-millionaire long before automobiles.
St. Luke Evangelical Church
The St. Luke United Church of Christ Church in San Pierre was known as the St. Luke
Evangelical Church at the time this picture was taken in the 1920's.
It had been originally established back in 1891 as the German Evangelical Church by a
group of German immigrants to the San Pierre area. John Will, a local carpenter, is
credited for much of the building's construction.
The steeple spire was removed in 1941, and a traditional cross replaced the one shown
in this picture. The adornment at the top of the spire in our picture is very unusual.
Weinkauf Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Emil and Mary (Kruger) Weinkauf’s farm was
about one and one-half miles north-west of San Pierre in Railroad Twp. Like most farm
families of the era, they raised a variety of stock animals and the crops to feed them.
Their farm was established around 1880 by Emil’s father, Frederick Weinkauf Sr., who
had come to America in the 1860’s from Germany. Mary’s father was Henry Kruger,
who had also come to America from Germany in the 1860’s but settled in the
Medaryville area.
From left to right: Emil, Mabel, Ella, Julia, Mary holding Lester, their dog, Shep, and
Vernon Weinkauf. This photo was taken around 1907. The house is now gone, but the
barn is still there and in use.
Chapter 12 – Washington Township
Eagle Creek Baseball Team
A photo loaned to the museum by Leo & Hanna Mlekodaj shows the Eagle Creek
baseball team in the early 1940's.
From left to right, back row: Frank Mlekodaj, Roger Laramore, Belden Brems, Joe
Pawlik and Leo Mlekodaj. Front row: Gene McFarland, Kemo Pawlik, Edward Pawlik,
Joe Zechiel, John Roberts and Rudy Pawlik. Later this team was sponsored by
Eichstaedt Chevrolet.
For nearly fifty years, baseball was one of Starke County's favorite past-times. Just
about every community in the county fielded a team, including Hamlet, Grovertown,
Bass Lake (two teams), Ober, Eagle Creek, Bass Station, North Judson, Knox (two
teams), Kankakee and San Pierre. The players were generally young men in their 20's.
Most often local merchants sponsored the teams. It was good for business, and the
outfield fences were covered with advertisements. The teams went by such names as
the Bass Lake White Sox, Winona Sluggers, Bass Station Bees, Knox Red Sox, Knox
AC's, Knox Merchants and Hamlet Cubs.
Some players became very good and were scouted by major league teams. In 1945,
Leo Mlekodaj, standing to the far right, went to Wrigley Field and tried out for the
Chicago Cubs.
Eagle Creek School
The Eagle Creek School was built in 1913 for $2,500 by Lewis & Tarleton Contractors
under the direction of Washington Township Trustee, L.B. Cochenour and advisors,
N.L. Guernsey and J.M. Hissong. It was located at the south-west corner of 25 N. and
700 E. in Washington Twp.
Eagle Creek was a one-room brick school where one teacher taught all eight grades. It
was the very last one-room school in Starke County to have an 8th Grade Graduation.
That was in 1948. After that, it continued as an elementary grades 1-4 school until 1955
when it was closed.
In 1965, the building was sold to the Golden Horseshoe Saddle Club for use as their
clubhouse. Later it was purchased by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and used as a
place of worship.
In recent years, it has been vacant and was destroyed by fire a two months ago.
Eagle Creek School has taught such people as two former Knox Mayors and at least
one local radio personality, plus countless other local citizens. Some of its teachers
were Catherine Ash, Mrs. Glant, Bessie Harden, Lulu Wilson, Ozara White, Ida
Dunkleburger, Grace Plople, Mrs. Cloyde and Laura Doden.
Eagle Creek School
A photo from 1891 shows Washington Township's District #2 school. This one-room
school was also known as the Eagle Creek School and was located at the north-east
corner of what is now 700E. and 25N. It was just north of Lerch Cemetery.
The wood frame school shown in this photo was built sometime between 1876 and
1884 based on maps of that period. The sign, dated Feb. 13, 1891, says "The Old Red
Schoolhouse" and lists all the students alphabetically.
Girls: Lena Brems, Shella M. Cramer, Eda B. Cramer, Della J. Cramer, Nora
Cochenour, Bertha Collins, Ella Collins, Cora Fletcher, Clara? J. Hill, Lulu Keiser,
Emma G. Lutter, Gustie R. Lutter, Della Lerch, Minnie M. Spaid and Carrie B. Spaid.
Boys: E. Brundige, D. H. Brundige, John Brems, Henry Brems, R. C. Baldwin, F. E.
Cochenour, C. O. Davis, F. M. Davis, Floyd Davis, Charlie Hill, James Hill, John Hill,
Clyde C. Keiser, Frank M. Keiser, Orla W. Spaid, Ora Spaid, Clarence Shultz and Guy
M. Wells. Teacher: R. L. Spaid. Visitors: Perry Snyder and Cora D. Snyder.
In 1913, the school shown in the picture was replaced by a new brick school at the
south-west corner of the same intersection. It is still standing today. The earlier frame
school may then have been used as a community church. That site is now home to the
Eagle Creek Church.
Eagle Creek School
Eagle Creek’s one room school is shown in this photo dated 1929.
From left to right, back row: Edward Pawlik, Charles Rodgers, Cecil Whitcraft, William
Leonard, Sophia Pawlik, Anna Balczo and Ozora White (Teacher); Middle row: Dorothy
Leonard, Lily Mlekodaj, Margaret Howard, Nancy Leonard, Jennie Mlekodaj, Violet
Leonard, Frances Mlekodaj and Andrew Wakal; Front row: Joe Pawlik, Joe Rodgers,
John McVey, Frank Balczo, Leo Mlekodaj, Clement Pawlik, Joe Wakal, Joe Balczo and
Rolland McVey.
The one-room brick Eagle Creek School was built in 1913 at the south-west corner of
25 N. and 700 E. in Washington Twp. It was the last one room school in Starke County
to have an 8th Grade Graduation. That was in 1948. It continued as an elementary
grades 1 - 4 school until 1955, when it was closed.
Emigh Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: shown in this picture are eight of the sons and
daughters of Christopher “Christian” and Mary Emigh.
Christopher’s grandfather, Peter, a Revolutionary War Veteran, had come to America
from Germany in Colonial Days and settled in Pennsylvania.
Peter’s grandson, Jacob, was the first in the family to come to Starke County in 1859.
He settled in Washington Twp, where he forged a farm out of the wilderness. Soon,
Christopher and Mary moved to Starke County with Jacob’s younger brothers and
sisters.
Jacob’s brother, William, also farmed for many years, until he purchased land at Bass
Lake and built the Best View Hotel.
From left to right: Jacob, Eliza, Abraham, Elizabeth, John, Mary Catherine, William
Henry and Izora. This picture was taken sometime before 1910.
Ober School
This week’s photo shows the Ober School that predates the one most of us know on SR
23 in Ober.
The school building located there now opened in 1915 and was used as a school until
1956. In the early 1920’s, it even offered 2 years of high school.
The Ober School before that, shown in this photo, was built in 1897 and used until
1914. It was located at the same location. It bricks were reused in the construction of
the new 1914 school building.
One of the last teachers at this school was George Myers, a brother-in-law of County
School Superintendent, Carroll Cannon.
Based on class photos, we can estimate that enrollment was well over 75 students by
1914 requiring the larger school to be built in 1915.
In those days, Ober had two general stores, a post office, a train depot and a grain
elevator.
Ober School
Ober's last school was built in 1914 at a cost of $8,500. It was located at the southwest
corner of SR 23 and 200 S.
This was actually the third school at Ober. The first was known as the Sandhill School
and was located about a 1/4 mile west on 200 S. It was a wood frame school and was
built in the 1880s.
The second school was built in 1897 and was located on the same site as the present
building. But Ober experienced a huge growth spurt around 1910 and quickly out grew
its new brick school. Most of its bricks were reused in building the third school pictured
in this photo.
Despite its size, there were only four rooms, two on each floor. Each room had two
grades taught by one teacher. This was a great improvement over one teacher teaching
all eight grades in a single one room school. In the 1920s, two high school grades were
also taught at Ober.
All classes were discontinued at Ober in 1956 without ever having the benefit of indoor
toilets. Students were then transferred to the new Washington Twp Elementary School
north on SR 23.
Parade Wagon
A photo dated 1910 shows Lee and Anna (Zumbaugh) Ransbottom leading a horsedrawn parade wagon. Lee's brother Claude is on the wagon holding the reins.
The signs say "Washington Township Against The World" and "Washington Township
Today". The event may have been part of an early harvest festival. Shocks of corn are
stacked on the wagon and various types of vegetables and fruits can be see hanging
from the railing.
The Ransbottoms were farmers in Washington Twp along Eagle Creek in Section 15.
The parade may have also been connected with Lee Ransbottom's candidacy for
county auditor in 1910, which he did win. Lee was also on the board of directors for The
First National Bank in Knox at the time.
Later, Lee and Anna sold their properties in Starke County and moved to Texas.
Wolfe Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: Lee and Mattie (Ransbottom) Wolfe and their
four sons are shown on the porch of their home in Washington Township about 1904.
The Wolfe family was of Pennsylvania German stock and had moved to Starke County
in 1891. Their 50 acre farm was located at the south-east corner of today's SR 8 and
1025 E. At that time, there was no road at all on the three mile stretch between 700 E.
and their home at 1025 E. on what is now SR 8.
They raised wheat, corn and oats. In addition, they rented another 40 acres on which
they raised cow peas. Farm power was provided by horses and mules. Besides farming,
Mr. Wolfe was commissioner of Starke County's First District, and we suspect he might
have had something to do with improving the roads and river conditions in that area.
The boys would have ridden their bikes to the one room school in Oak Grove just a half
mile east. The family would have done their trading in Ober crossing the Yellow River at
Whitehead Bridge, which was abandoned when the river was dredged and straightened.
From left to right: Lee, Mattie, William E., L. Marvin, Fred M. and Henry F. Wolfe.
Chapter 13 – Wayne Township
Brantwood School
A photo taken in the late 1890's shows the Brantwood School in Wayne Twp.
Ona (Foust) Hewlett is the tallest girl in the back row. She was the teacher and may
have been learning from the gentleman to the far right.
An 1898 map shows the school was located at the southwest corner of 500 W and 400
S on Joseph Bosinski's farm. The school also went by the name Bosinski School but
was officially the District #3 school. It was closed in 1922 when 6 one-room township
schools were consolidated into North Judson.
Earlier maps show the school was located about a mile closer to North Judson at the
community of Brantwood. A post office had been established at Brantwood back in
1863, and the school probably dates back to about the same time. The Chicago &
Cincinnati RR (later known as the Pennsylvania RR) was built through Wayne Twp in
1858-1861 and resulted in stops at what became North Judson and Brantwood.
Over the years North Judson outgrew Brantwood, and the little community faded into
history. Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum's train ride to English Lake or Lacrosse will
take you right through this forgotten little community. It was located about 3/4 mile north
of North Judson alongside the tracks.
Casey School
A one-room school was built at the southwest corner of 800 S and 100 W in Wayne Twp
around 1880 based on plat maps. It was probably a wood frame building that was later
replaced by the concrete block building seen in this photo.
Even though officially it was the District #5 school, it was known as the Casey School
and was located on William Casey's farm. This was just south of Lena Park. William and
Abbey Casey were Irish immigrants. They had a large family and may have donated an
acre to the township for the school.
We are not sure of the occasion, but the photo appears to have been taken in the
spring. The one-room township schools were often used for other community events.
The school was closed in 1922 when the six remaining Wayne Twp schools were
consolidated into North Judson. The former school has been used as a residencesince
that time.
Dolezal Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: James and Frances Dolezal immigrated to
America from Bohemia, which is now Czechoslovakia, around 1890 and settled in
Railroad Township.
Their 160 acre farm was located about one mile south-east of San Pierre on CR 900
West. There they raised their children: John, Barbara, Mary, James Jr., Frank, Josie
and Frances.
From left to right in this photo dated sometime before 1910: James Jr., Frances, James
and Josie Dolezal. Note the wood plank sidewalks leading to the house.
Flagg Family
A Starke County Pioneer Farm Family: John M. and Mary E. (Mosher) Flagg are shown
with their seven children in 1907 at the Flagg farm in Wayne Twp. The Flagg farmhouse
was located on 100 W. about one and a half miles south of SR 10.
From left to right,standing: Lulu, Asa, Charles, John and Ada. Seated: Mollie, John,
Mary and Grace.
The Casey one room school was one half mile south of them and is still there.
Lena Park's train depot and glass factory were right across the road from the farm. One
hundred years ago, Lena Park was promoted as "The New Manufacturing City, only
surpassed by the world's most rapid growth town, Gary, Indiana".
John Flagg moved to Starke County around 1864, after serving in the Civil War. He
married Mary Mosher, daughter of John and Elizabeth Mosher, also of Wayne Twp.
The Moshers were one of Starke County's earliest pioneer families having moved here
in the 1850's from Whitely Co., IN.

Starke County Historical Society - Starke County Public Library System

Transcription

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